Choose a seat, not a side
by starrynightstarryeyes
Summary: we're all family once the knot is tied. {a fanfic; i do not own lisi harrison's characters, just the plot idea of this story.}
1. introduction

\- we're all family once the knot is tied.

 **Introducing** :

Massie Block, resident bad girl turned professional. Not wanting to sit and collect on her daddy's money any longer out of pure boredom, Massie Elizabeth studied business administration at the University of Oxford. She's an excellent negotiator, mainly because she always seems to have the upper hand in things.

Alicia Rivera, the only thing bigger than her mouth is her family fortune. Being a televised news reporter doesn't pay well, thankfully with her family's money and her husband's last name, she doesn't hear the word no too often.

Dylan Marvil, certified nutritionist and lifestyle coach. The girl who planned on turning over a new leaf after high school, literally bloomed into a whole new flower instead. She used her insecurities to do what she felt was right, making peace with her body by helping others do the same.

Kristen Gregory, who would've pictured her as a certified public accountant? The girl who was always searching for ways to make money is financially stable and monitoring other wealthy families' money, whilst working on Wall Street with the big dogs.

Claire Lyons, who always wanted to be the cat's meow, the new principle in training at Briarwood Octavian Country Day. Wow, things took a big turn for her. She felt she could make a change and end bullying once and for all at her alma mater.

Derrick Harrington, known as number fourteen on the New York City FC professional soccer team, will be acquiring his father's position as CEO of Harrington and Montgomery Enterprises. Will it be a mistake, trying to balance his soccer ball on his Balenciaga dress shoes?

Joshua Hotz, with a name like that, who's surprised he became the spokesman for Ralph Lauren, right. Between he and his wife, they basically donned the brand since diapers. But maybe modeling and designing isn't all it's cracked up to be.

Christopher Plovert, he broke away from his family's company and started his own. He's always creating a new product, and his long time girlfriend is always there to help him. But, after a while, money starts getting tight, and he's forced to go back into his mommy's arms.

Kemp Hurley, his mother created the brand Hurley which sponsors multiple surfers and water enthusiasts. How do they decide to sign on with the Hurley's? Well, he has a few tricks up his sleeve, besides his dashing good looks. Yep, Kemp is the bitch of the Hurley family.

Cameron Fisher, who grew up with a substance-abuser of a brother, set out to make waves in the sea of changing drug regulations. A pharmaceutical company under his belt, his next mission is to rid Westchester of all it's drugs and drug users, no matter who he meets in his travels.


	2. chapter one

Rolling her eyes out of protest, Massie bit down on her plump bottom lip, messing up her glossy smashbox red pout. On a normal day, she'd care, but today was not a normal day. Today was the talk, and she was not excited, not one bit.

"Can we at least take this slow? This whole submerging back into Westchester culture?" She requested, turning her head to look at him.

"We can go as fast or as slow as your mother allows," he warned her with a raised brow. She's Massie's mom, after all, you'd think Massie would understand these calls weren't up to him.

Massie's homecoming would be one hell of a spectacle. She hadn't been back in Westchester for years. While her "friends" went off to college, Massie spent two years 'studying' beside her father. And by studying, I mean fucking his newly hired youthful associate, Tristan Montgomery Ferguson. He was handsome, devious, intelligent, and off limits. Well, until Massie got to him. He was the only one who gave her a challenge. So, she played the game, and with one look at the rock on her finger, it's safe to say she has won.

"Are we _really_ going with gold? It's so pretentious." She sniffed, looking out the wall-length window beside her as she sat at her family dining room table with her fiance, her mother, and the five star wedding planner her mother had brought in.

"Honey, we are nothing less than a multi-billion dollar family. Gold is _expected_." Kendra Block stressed, sparing a look at the wedding planner who looked half terrified, and half nauseous.

"Exactly why I want platinum. If someone is expecting me to do something, I need to _out do_ it." The brunette spat back, flipping her chestnut ponytail over one shoulder before handing her mother and her wedding planner a laminated booklet. "If you flip to page six, I have my colors outlined, in detail." The tone she spoke in suggested that this color conversation was done, done, and done.

Four years later, she had a degree from the University of Oxford in her hands, a diamond on her ring finger, and a business practically handed to her. The only tie with that was that she'd need to be in Westchester for good to keep it. Her four years of escape at Oxford were precious to her, she had time to get her recklessness out of her system before coming back to the prim and proper Westchester community.

Her mother didn't understand how much wedding talk stressed her out. She hadn't heard from the girls in years, and yet everyone was planning on them being in her bridal party. Who else would she have, if she didn't have the fabulous Pretty Committee together? Well, yes, but she hasn't spoken to any of them since Alicia's wedding three years ago. _Three!_ Yes, they had all sounded happy on the phone when Massie asked them to be part of her wedding party and had all agreed, but still.

All the girls had parted ways after high school, something about finding themselves and what have you. They needed a break after everything that they had gone through, but Alicia's wedding was supposed to bring them together. All it did was stir the pot further, as the girls were reminded of all their high school mistakes. Their lives are all different now, they're all in different worlds, which was another reason why Massie was so uncomfortable with coming back to Westchester for good.

"What if they don't like me anymore? We haven't spoken in three years, plus we're all in different circles of life. Claire's a _principal_ , for god's sake!" Massie exclaimed once her and Tristan were alone in her old bedroom. She began pacing through the room, a habit she never seemed to break.

"Why wouldn't they like you? They agreed to be in your bridal party, Mass. I'm sure no one has spoken to each other since the wedding, it isn't just you! If you want, why not call up Alicia and sit down with her? Take it slow, tackle them one by one. I'm sure after the stunt Dylan and Claire pulled at Alicia's wedding, Alicia hasn't spoken to either of them."

Massie mulled this over in her head, and after a few minutes more of thinking in her mind, made a sound in the back of her throat.

"Fine, I will reach out to Alicia first and go from there. God, I hate when you're right." She mumbled the last part before flopping back onto her bed. Looking around her room, it was sort of surreal to think about. She used to dream about marrying someone else all those years ago, lying in her bed in the same position. It was sort of ironic, seeing his name on her guestlist with a check mark next to it showing that he RSVP'd. She briefly wondered how that would go over, then decided she didn't care enough to put another thought into it.

Massie and Derrick were the golden couple. They were both perfect, alphas, born leaders. Their fathers founded important and respected businesses, it was like a written-in-the-stars kind of thing. The fathers had made business plans together, Massie and Derrick would get married, then Harrington Montgomery Enterprises and The Block Financial Organization would merge into one empire.

When they broke up, her father swore they'd be back together in no time. Once it was clear that wouldn't happen, their businesses became competition. Neither of their children would ever know the dirty tricks the parents played on each other for their children's separation. For breaking his daughter's heart, Derrick's father was suddenly faced with fines and tickets. Massie's father found zoning restrictions and found it harder and harder to waive them.

In all of Massie's time apprenticing and studying from her father, she never learned about any of it. Her father swore she never would. The only people besides Charles who knew the truth was Kendra Block and Tristan. If only the two of them knew how much their breakup cost their families.

Tristan leaned over, wrapping an arm around Massie's shoulders and placing a kiss to the top of her head. As he was about to speak, his work phone began buzzing in his pocket. With a sigh and an apology, Tristan left the room to answer his call just as Kendra came back up the stairs and entered her daughter's room.

"You're right, platinum it is. We aren't a tacky gold family, like all these other Westchester families."

"We don't follow trends, mom. We set them. I set them."

"Well, I'm glad to hear you have your usual spunk back. Your father and I are going to be throwing a 'Welcome Home, Countdown to the Wedding' gathering in your honor. It'll be friday, so that gives you a week to make nice with all who's invited." With that, Kendra handed Massie a list of people and rested one hand on her slender hip, the other began twirling her pearl necklace. Giving her daughter a pointed look before leaving, Massie realized it was more of an order than anything else.

Sighing, the alpha laid back down and closed her eyes, dreaming of simpler times.


	3. chapter two

It was saturday, and Massie had exactly seven days to make amends with the people on this list before her party. If anyone was more stressed about her wedding, it was her mother. What the fuck? Shouldn't Massie be the one worrying? Ugh, whatever. It shouldn't be hard, considering everyone on that list had been her best friend at some point in time. The last one on the list, though, was Derrick. She'd most definitely leave that one for last.

Standing up from her vanity where she had finished applying her normal routine of full coverage foundation, a warm bronzer and a coat of Chanel matte lipstick in deep red Luxuriant along with her le volume de Chanel mascara. Massie walked to her mirror, triple checking her chosen outfit once more to make sure it wasn't too much. Her grey MIUMIU off the shoulder sweater with white Seven Brand skinny jeans and black Tory Burch wedges was a good balance between mall casual and sushi date night, and her Chloe small faye backpack in black and gold brought the wedges into the outfit further.

She shook out her hair, still in waves from when she curled it the night before, and took a look at her face in the long mirror. She was happy, really. Massie had everything a girl could want, but something felt empty inside of her. Was the egg white and spinach omelette Inez made her not satisfying? No, that wasn't it. Maybe it was the loneliness she felt on the inside because she wasn't fully sure her friends actually wanted to see her? Yep, that was probably it.

Tristan was at work today with her father, doing what they do. Balancing accounts, hedge funds, business lunches. She'd much rather be in the office than here right now, but she didn't have that luxury. Her family thought it was better this way, Tristan doing the hard work and if she needed to, she could assist. She did have her bachelors in business administration, but that didn't mean she wanted to use it yet. The family agreed her only job for now was the wedding, and this was part of it.

Gathering the rest of her belongings into her purse, Massie shuffled down the plush white-lined stairs towards the front door, then out the driveway to where her black audi r8 was waiting for her. Isaac already started it for her, and her seat was already being warmed up. The spring air was brisk still, and she momentarily debated going back inside for her coat before ignoring the thought and pulling out of the long stretch of driveway.

"Hola!" Alicia's voice came ringing through the car's stereo system, as Massie made a quick left turn. "Are you on your way?" Her voice echoed, and Massie could hear a little bit of movement on the other line.

"That depends, are _you_?" The amber-eyed beauty asked accusingly, thinking the noise on the other line sounded a lot like Josh.

"Welllllll, I'm leaving in a minute! Come on, you know you live further away from Espresso Expresso than I do!" She could hear the pout in Alicia's voice.

"Yeah yeah yeah, Leesh. I'm about four minutes away," the alpha warned and heard a giggle come out of Alicia's mouth.

"Leaving now!" Massie heard the door slam on the other line, then the line went dead.

Rolling her eyes again, Massie turned up her radio to the new Chainsmokers song as her mind went a mile a minute.

" _I'm from the east side of America, where we choose pride over character, and we can pick sides, but this is us, this is us, this is,"_

The lyrics rang through her ears, and she mulled them over. It was true, from her end. Massie's past decisions always came from choosing her own pride over her character, even when it made her look bad. She would rather be right than be nice, which may explain why she has no one but her Pretty Committee (did the name explain it, as well?) for her wedding party. She was rattled by her thoughts when she came up to the street the small town cafe was on, and parked as soon as she found an open spot.

"Eh Ma Gawd!" Alicia yelled, running to meet Massie as Massie climbed out of her car. Tight hugs, air kisses, and giggling erupted between the two of them as they made their way inside the cafe. There may have been tears shed on both sides as well, but the alpha and beta both know better than to share those details with anyone else. Still, Westchester is as cut throat as it was when Massie left.

After ordering their lattes, they perched on a seat in the window where they had ample viewing of the entire shop. The girls saw familiar faces, pretended not to see some other familiar faces, and shared all about their lives since the last time they saw each other. Massie was relieved at how easy it is to talk to her Beta, but knew it wouldn't be this easy with all the other girls.

"Mass, you're the first one I'm telling. Josh doesn't even know," Alicia spoke softly, her voice going down about four notches. Being the local news broadcaster, everyone knew Alicia, and so everyone was always trying to find out her business.

Massie's eyes lit up at this.

"You're pregnant, aren't you?" The alpha whispered back, studying her friend's face.

"Eh ma god, can you tell?! Am I showing?!" Alicia squealed softly, throwing her hands over her stomach as quickly as the words came out of her mouth. The alpha shook her head no, with a grin over her lips.

"No, but when you lead into it like that, it could only be so many things." Massie explained, sitting back in her seat. Alicia nodded her head, raised a finger to represent 'point!', and looked down at her latte, then back up at her alpha. "I didn't tell Josh yet, mainly because I don't really...know how to? We said not for another two years, but when I was late, I knew something was up." The raven-haired beauty explained, playing with the sleeve on her hot drink.

Massie pursed her lips. She _wished_ her life was this easy. Marrying her high school sweetheart, being supported by said sweetheart, closing on a house six months after the wedding. Being able to have the picture perfect relationship, not have to start over with someone new. Not having to ever be alone because your husband is involved in things that don't involve you. She shook her head to rid herself of these thoughts, and looked at her best friend.

"What do you need me to do?" Massie asked Alicia, looking at her and seeing how confused and complicated Alicia's face looked. She seemed like she hadn't a clue what to do, like she was lost. It's okay though, because in this crazy world, Massie was just as lost.

"I need you to help me through this. I need to tell him, but I need to make sure it's happening from a doctor, and make sure I'm not gonna lose this." She spoke softly, gesturing to her stomach. "I know how easy it is to lose, Mass." The tone in her voice made Massie think she had some personal experience with that, but she wasn't going to push her to talk about that right now.

"I can make you an appointment with my obgyn, so Josh doesn't suspect anything. I'll go with you, and hold your hand through it all." This Massie promised, knowing Alicia would do the same for her, even though they hadn't spoken in ages.

And just like that, one bridge was rescued and amended. Not that it really needed to be, because Alicia at the end of the day would always be on Massie's side. The other girls, not so much. Massie valued them because they needed her, but it seems like between their new careers and new lives, they aren't the insecure little girls they were in high school.

"The only thing I will ask from you, is you help me mend things with the girls before Friday when my parents throw this lavish party. I need to make sure everyone is on good terms, and doesn't ruin this." The alpha retorted in her levelled, leaderlike voice she hadn't used in years. Alicia nodded her head in agreement and a silent promise, before sipping her latte.

"Who's first?" she asked, a raised eyebrow indicating that she's ready to play too.

No matter what, a Beta always has their Alpha's back.


	4. chapter three

"In, and out. In, and out." she breathed.

Massie simply rolled her eyes, but exaggerated her breathing.

"Breathe softly, don't think about anything around you."

Check, check and check. Done, done, and done.

"Now, we're going to dive in."

Massie's eyes widened at that. Shit, Dylan. It was only monday morning, couldn't this wait?

"Think of all your worries, your anxieties, your concerns."

The list Kendra Block had given her daughter came to mind, and she visualized it sitting next to her. She wanted to punch it.

"Let them float around your mind, like clouds. Then, with every exhale, push the clouds away."

Massie sat there, holding her pose on her yoga mat while she enthusiastically blew out in front of her.

"Massie, you aren't blowing up a balloon." Dylan retorted in her calming voice.

The brunette rolled her eyes, for what felt like the eleventh time since she had entered the studio.

I mean, come on. The tranquil music in the background, the dim lighting, the 'free your mind, free your soul' written in gold script writing all over the studio's mirrors. The snack bar in the lobby loaded with fruit and vegetable platters, RX bars, almond butter packets, as well as various kinds of infused water.

The carpet you walk on to enter the studio was a plush and fluffy white, with a sign at the front door that asked clients to remove their shoes before entering. The walls were painted a calming powder blue and white, and it seemed the entire building took the same theme on.

Everything was blue and white, down the toilets which were also covered in the fluffy white plush carpet. Odd choice, Massie reasoned, but whatever Dylan wanted, she got. She still didn't seem to have too much common sense, considering who the _hell_ would put carpet in the bathrooms? What if someone spills their drink or pees on it? That must be a _bitch_ to clean.

It was clear Dylan didn't get much guidance with creating her sacred space. But, then again, the only people in her life that ever gave her that guidance was the pretty committee. When they broke apart, she really didn't have anyone.

That didn't bother Dylan. It meant she could do everything she wanted to, and do it on her own. She wouldn't have anyone else to attribute her success to, but the downside was not having anyone else to share it with.

"Massie? Massie?" The brunette briefly heard, and snapped out of her own thoughts to look over at her best friend since they were in diapers, who now felt like a total different person.

"You know, yoga is supposed to clear your head of all the problem you have. Why do I feel like all it did was cause you to think more about them?!" The redhead pondered out loud, looking at Massie pointedly.

The brunette shrugged her shoulders, still standing in warrior pose like Dylan had last instructed her.

"And now, child's pose." The redhead breathed, and Massie retreated.

Her mind was going a million miles a minute, and she knew Dylan could see the wheels turning in her mind. Massie was never out of things to think about, that was for sure. She just didn't see a resolution coming out of these broken friendships.

What was she afraid of?

Not rejection, because she knows all the girls would kill to be back in her arms and be best friends again. No, that wasn't it.

It was of things not being the same.

She couldn't just walk into Claire's house and make herself a cup of exotic tea Claire purchases on a monthly basis from India.

Massie wasn't able to just waltz into Dylan's apartment, plop her feet on the couch, and snuggle into the massive amount of heated blankets the redhead has in her home.

No, she couldn't just surprise Kristen for lunch on Wall Street when she was bored or had nothing going on for the day.

The only thing she could do was walk into Alicia's house with her own key, and rummage through her massive walk in closet when Leesh was on set filming for the day.

But that wasn't enough, not for Massie. She wouldn't settle for just one friendship being rekindled. She knew these other ones would be a bitch to fix, but she did it before, didn't she? They faced bigger enemies, more problems, harder problems before. Why was it different now?

Maybe because for once, they all have their own lives. And for once, their lives didn't revolve around Massie's. They think for themselves, act for themselves, do dirty work for themselves, not someone else. They don't need her outfit approval and rating, they can dress themselves, use their own connections to set up dress meetings with their favorite designers, bring themselves into the Hamptons. Everyone else is so independent, and it's like Massie lost herself in them gaining their own independence.

No no, that was crazy.

Dylan, seeing how her Alpha was so concentrated in whatever her life brought to her, ended the session with a 'namaste'.

"Now, are you going to tell me what's wrong?" The redhead asked, as she filled herself and Massie a glass of cucumber and mint infused still water.

Massie was munching on a maple sea salt RX bar as she debated whether or not to dive deep into her problems.

Honestly though, who better to talk to than Westchester's best life coach? Dylan, out of everyone, dealt with the most shit throughout her childhood. Her mother giving her an eating disorder like it was a vintage chanel purse, her sister's constantly toting new boys around her to remind her she was almost always single, her father being nowhere in the picture which spurred on a set of ah-nnoying daddy issues.

Yeah, Massie thought, Dylan had all that shit on her plate, plus mine and everyone else's baggage. Yet, she was always the kindest ear to listen, and tried really hard to help the girls through whatever problems they were facing.

"Well," Massie started, taking a seat on one of the plush white (of course) armchairs by the window while Dylan flipped the open sign to closed, and brought the blinds down knowing her friend needed her and nothing was more important than that. Little did Massie know, Dylan had been waiting for this moment for years.

So, with that, Massie spoke. She poured out her feelings, her worries, and her stresses.

How she misses the old times, where the pretty committee girls all got along and there wasn't any shady drama-related shit going on. How they were all united, and everyone felt safe. She felt safe. How her phone used to ring forty times a day from the girls alone, and how now she's lucky if she gets that amount of messages in a week.

How condescending it was to her that Claire was trying to preach anti bullying at her school, but at Alicia's wedding she was asked to write a speech and all it consisted of was her slandering Alicia. How Alicia cried about it after in the bathroom, and Massie had to fix her makeup because of how hard Alicia cried. The fact that Alicia cried at her own wedding night, and not out of happiness or joy.

How Massie had reached out a few times to Kristen's office, but the secretary told her every time that she'd take a message and Kristen would get back to her. She never did. It was almost as if now that Kristen had her own money, she had no use for Massie.

How in college, Massie became so nervous and insecure that she developed her own eating disorder. How she needed Dylan, but every time she'd call, Dylan would forward it to voicemail and send her a text saying she'd call her later. She never did.

How she's jealous Alicia got to settle down with her high school sweetheart because it felt like no matter how long they'd been together, she's always guessing what was going through Tristan's head. When he and her father had meetings, she was always shut out and was tired of it. She didn't understand why, considering she studied for two years under her father.

How upset she is that her father is basically giving her the company because she's marrying Tristan, not because he thinks she can handle it on her own. He doesn't think she's smart enough, had enough experience, too pretty to work, the excuses keep coming. She feels like now without Tristan, she'll have nothing. How this marriage has to work because her future is literally on the line now.

How her mother actually expected her to be able to mend things with _Derrick Harrington_. Like she had done something wrong in that situation? Massie wasn't the one who was supposed to be apologizing, or trying to make amends. Derrin- (he doesn't deserve that nickname anymore) -Derrick was the one who called it off and barely gave her an explanation. ("It's not you, it's me. I need to grow, and the only way is without you.") Like, _what_?! Massie was supposed to fix that when she didn't even know what was wrong?

By the end of her ranting, she could admit a weight has been lifted off her shoulders. Dylan, on the other hand, sat there with tears welled up in her big green eyes before tackling the brunette in a bone-crushing hug. Damn, when did she get so strong?

"I am _so_ sorry Massie! I am so sorry I never called, I am so sorry you've been dealing with all of this alone. I'm so sorry that I haven't been there, I just didn't think my presence was wanted anymore." The fiery haired girl spewed out, and Massie could tell she had wanted to get this out for a long time, so she kept quiet.

"I never thought it was even possible for us girls to stop talking. After what Claire did at Alicia's wedding, I flipped, which I know wasn't right of me and Alicia is probably still pissed at me, but no one else was doing it! I went through everything with my company alone, I didn't have you girls to help me with any of it!" She cried.

"Dyl...you put carpeting in the bathroom."

"I KNOW! See?" Dylan replied, giggling through her tears.

And just like that, she knew she had Dylan back. It wasn't as hard as she imagined, but she knew Kristen was going to be a hard one to crack. Mentally she debated dealing with her last, or maybe bringing Dylan by alongside her.

"Have you spoken to Kris lately?" The alpha asked softly, looking up at Dylan with her big amber eyes. The fire was gone, Dylan noted as she dabbed at her tears with a kleenex.

"Yeah, we actually just got brunch about two months ago. Have you spoken to her yet?" Dylan asked genuinely, absentmindedly reaching for a bunch of grapes and beginning to munch on them.

"No, no, I haven't. We should get some lunch together soon, though. I do want to see her again, I miss having her around."

"Say no more!" The redhead grinned cheekily, before reaching for her phone. "How does Wednesday sound?"


	5. chapter four

{The italicized portion is what happened at Alicia's wedding.}

The bright sun shone through Massie's bedroom windows, making her squint and rub her eyes before putting her pillow back over her head. Too early, she thought to herself as she tried to fall back asleep.

She was thisclose to falling asleep when Bean, her beloved pug from her childhood, began barking at her to pick her up and put her on the bed. Her legs weren't what they used to be, Massie frowned at the thought before scooping her pup up and placing her on the other side of the bed where Tristan had slept.

He mentioned getting an early start in the office before jumping out of bed at a prompt seven in the morning. Massie, on the other hand, believed he as doing things in his office with her father that they were keeping from her. 'Pretty girls don't sign business deals,' her mother's voice rang through her mind, reminding her of her status in her father's company.

Now away, the brunette sat up and rolled her eyes at her mother's condescending tone. Kendra got off on the fact that Charles didn't want Massie involved with much inside the company.

It irked Massie to no end, having never grown up being told no before, it somehow stung more now that she was an adult.

Sighing, Massie climbed out of bed while her dog slept peacefully and began to snore, a habit she never outgrew from her puppy-hood.

It was tuesday, which meant Massie's plans for the day consisted of taking a visit to Briarwood Octavian Country Day school. Please, gag her with the silver spoon she grew up with in her mouth.

She stretched out her limbs, feeling better with the fact that she had ⅖ of her list done. There weren't many people on there, just the pretty committee girls and Derrick.

Massie stepped into the shower, wondering if Derrick would be the easiest, or the hardest target to nail.

No no, that'll be Claire. She made it clear at Alicia's wedding that she resented the girls, and would never forgive them.

 _"Alicia's been my friend for years!" The blonde giggled into the microphone, winking at the girls sitting together at their bridesmaid's table. "Where to start, where to start?" Claire asked the audience, clicking her tongue before diving in. "Alicia spilled red paint on my jeans the first day I started high school here in Westchester, making everyone call me 'period girl' for a solid two months before the girls accepted me into their clique, out of pity, of course."_

 _Massie's eyes widened, and flickered from the other girls to Alicia to see how she was reacting. The TV journalist's facial features remained stagnant._

 _"She was always a bitch, so I feel a little bad that Josh has to put up with her for the rest of his life. At least he knows her true colors, considering he forced himself upon me in high school, making my then-boyfriend think I cheated on him while Alicia spread rumors all over our combined schools that I was a slut."_

 _"And then, she had me exiled out of our friend group because of it. Like it was my fault, am I right guys?!" She asked the crowd, who responded in silence and awkward chair-moving._

 _"Who would've thought the gossip and the man whore would've ended up together?"_

 _With that, Dylan stood up. Massie and Kristin begged her to sit back down, but she shook off their arms and stormed off to the stage where Claire was holding the microphone, repeatedly bashing Alicia on every aspect. The redhead stormed up to the stage, while security had the same idea. They plucked Claire off the stage right away, as Dylan took the microphone and continued onto the platform._

 _Massie got out of her seat at the bridal table, and ran to the couple's table where Josh was on the phone with his head of security and Alicia was sitting with her head in her hands. Massie brought Alicia to the bathroom, while Dylan attempted to give a real speech to the crowd._

 _Massie and Alicia spent a good hour in the bathroom, Alicia crying while Massie held her, calmed her down and relied on the God's above to make the rest of this wedding go smoothly while they also smited Claire for her irrational behavior._

Massie didn't understand why Dylan thought Alicia would be mad at her, when all of her anger should be on Claire after her actions at Alicia's wedding.

The blonde, who betrayed all the girls' trust that day, was now standing in the front of BOCD with a walkie talkie, examining as Massie came up the marble steps to the entrance of the school. Massie had parked her car in the front spot that was marked 'reserved'.

"Ahhhh, just the head mistress I was looking for," Massie greeted sickly sweet, reaching out to hug the small blonde. Claire, knowing better than to start a scene, reciprocated after a moment of stalling.

"Shall we continue this in my office?" Claire spoke in her most principal-like tone.

Massie actually laughed at that one. "Oh, kuh-laire. Sure, we can. I assume you don't want these students and parents overhearing about your massive bullying stunt at your friends wedding, what with your entire platform founded on how bullying isn't right."

With that, the pale girl blanched before turning around and walking inside the school. There was silence until they reached her office. Massie sniffed before taking a seat on the stained cloth chairs she had opposite her desk chair. She momentarily wondered if she should've cloroxed the chair, considering all the hooligans Claire probably sits down here in this chair each day. Massie made a mental note to dry clean her jeans once this meeting was over.

It was ironic that Claire sat in the big chair in the office, because it was clear Massie was leading this meeting.

Tossing her chestnut curls over her shoulder, Massie leveled a glare at her ex-friend.

"I am _so_ disappointed in you, Claire."

The blonde opened her mouth to retort, but Massie simply lifted her palm in the manner of telling her to not bother.

"I am not here to listen to your side of things. Frankly, I don't care. I think it was awful of you to pull that stunt. It was more than inappropriate, the poor girl cried all night on her _wedding_ _day_ , Claire. I hope you know when you get married, she'll be doing that right back to you because you _deserve_ it."

With that statement, the alpha stood and continued to hold the blonde's eye contact. "You deserve everything that will come to you as a result. You want to sit and preach about how you were bullied? All the shit you spoke about in your speech? Well, humor me, tell me how you felt after pulling that stunt on Alicia."

"Horrible. Dirty. Evil." The blonde spoke through gritted teeth. Did Massie come just to shit on her? She hadn't been in the hot seat with Massie in such a long time. Massie didn't get to confront her about the wedding ever since, so Claire knew at some point this would happen, but she didn't expect it on a random tuesday.

The brunette raised an eyebrow. "How did that look after you won the headmistress seat based off of an anti-bullying policy?"

Claire didn't reply. She merely began playing with a few stray strings on her black blazer.

Massie sighed. "I didn't come here to tear into you, I just couldn't help it this time."

Claire made a noise, nodding her head like she understood. Like this happens all the time. Like they're friendly.

Massie, for once in her life, wasn't really sure how to respond to this. She wasn't supposed to be so….calm.

"I know. I know. I just … you girls made my life a living hell for most of the time I was here. I remember how depressed I became, how evil I became to get back at you girls. I couldn't believe I did that, and then, three years after, I did the same thing. On stage. At my friend's wedding. I was mortified, I still am. There's a reason why I don't go to any of those charity balls, auctions, functions. Everyone sees that night, not me. That wasn't me, it was what you guys pushed me to do." The voice Claire spoke with was dripping with venom, but it wasn't directed at Massie. It was directed at herself.

The brunette rolled her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest before refolding them into her lap. "Prey tell, Claire." She did not have time for this pity party.

"I was a nice girl in Florida. I helped people with their books, finding their classes. I volunteered at the soup kitchen, tutored kids after school."

Massie made a gagging noise, which made Claire giggle before remembering her point.

"I wasn't this Claire. You guys brought it out of me," she cried.

"No, kuh-laire. Westchester brought it out of you."

The silence the room fell into was deafening. The bell rang outside the door throughout the halls, as they heard girl's heels and boys sneakers moving to get to their classes before they're marked as tardy.

"How long did you plan that for?"

"Two weeks beforehand."

"Did you plan on embarrassing Alicia the entire time?"

"No, but I found my diary one day from high school. I went through the entries and it sunk in how _fucking depressed_ I was. I just wanted to get even with someone for once."

"And how did that work out?"

"Horribly. Did you just come here to remind me?"

At that, Massie sighed. She knew this wasn't going to be easy. She also knew she really didn't want to be doing this, not at this hour on a tuesday when she could be either asleep or getting a pitaya bowl. Her stomach threatened to growl at the thought.

"No, I wish it was that easy. My parents are throwing a party saturday night, congratulating Tristan and I. All my bridal party is supposed to be there, including you. I need to know you'll be on your best behavior." Massie spoke with her authoritative tone, making it clear it wasn't a choice to Claire, who gulped and nodded in response.

"And Claire?" Massie asked, standing and brushing off her jeans.

"Yeah?" The girl asked, looking up at Massie, as per usual.

"Try that shit at my wedding, and you won't be in Westchester anymore. Alicia might not have chased you out, but I sure as hell will."

With that, Massie left the office, letting the door hang open as her friend's mouth did the same.

Sighing, Massie left her old stomping grounds and climbed into her car. As she pulled out of the parking lot, she speed dialed Tristan.

"Hey baby, everything okay?" The male's deep voice came through her audi's stereo system.

"Ugh, I spoke to Claire. I don't even really want her back in the group, to be honest. What she did was dirty and deceitful."

"Agreed."

"So, I scared her into behaving, we won't have a problem with her."

"Good."

"I just wish it didn't have to be like this, you know? I wish I didn't have to, but with her, you can't take a chance."

"Yeah."

"Plus, she tried to blame all her issues on me! She was like, 'you made me this way!' The fuck I think _not_."

"That's crazy, babe."

"Yeah."

Massie bit her tongue. She hated how monotonous their conversations were, mainly because he settled with five words or less per response. She loved him, but sometimes, he just didn't have a personality.

" So….what are you up to?" Massie probed him with a question, trying to

get him to speak up, even a little bit.

"Paperwork, meetings, the usual." Tristan shrugged into the phone.

God, he was _not_ a phone person in the slightest. Massie considered this a win, compared to last week's phone conversations.

"Alright, babe. I'm gonna go home, then maybe go shopping or something. I need to release some of this stress somehow!" she cried.

She heard a deep chuckle on the other line. "Say hello to Prada for me!"

"And Louis?" She asked innocently, smirking out of happiness at his humor.

"And Louis. And Stella." He said, before blowing her a kiss over the phone and hanging up.


	6. chapter five

Massie straightened out her Givenchy tee shirt, before smoothing down her wool Gucci coat. It was cold in Westchester, it being the beginning of spring didn't mean much considering it was still a brisk 40 degrees outside on a good day.

She had reached the mall, parking her car at the entrance closest to Prada and walking inside the sleek glass doors. Looking around, she realized how the mall pretty much always stayed the same. There was no need for renovations with a mall this gorgeous, anyway.

The floors were an imported pearl-flecked white marble, the walls were an airy gray with thick white cavetto molding, and there was an Evian reusable water bottle fill up station on every corner of the shopping mall.

The brunette bee-lined it into the two level Starbucks with a fireplace, desperately needing her hazelnut coconut milk macchiato before she began swiping her black american express wherever she felt fit.

Waiting in line to order, her arms were crossed over her chest and her face most likely had a resting bitchy expression. Her face was almost always expressionless, but she preferred it that way. Expressions made you weak, after all.

As she moved up the line to the counter and began placing her order, a strong arm was thrown around her shoulders. She didn't deter from her order, however, sparing a glare to the offender before straightening the wrinkles he was creating in her shirt.

"And I'll get one of those, as well." The man spoke with a strong voice, handing over his gold starbucks card before placing a kiss to the top of her head. "Good to see you, Mass." The two moved towards the other side to wait for their drinks.

"Kemp, always a pleasure." The girl drawled out, taking a curl into her perfectly manicured finger and twirling it round.

"What are you doing here?" She asked cautiously.

"What, can't I surprise an old friend?" The brunette asked with a glint in his blue eyes.

"Well. You can, but not when the old friend didn't even tell you she was here!" Massie exclaimed, raising an eyebrow at him. "So, I repeat. Why are you here?"

"My mom told me about that ball, or whatever, your parents are having. So, I figured I'd come pick up an outfit, can't exactly show up in my typical jeans and a long sleeve, now can I?" He smirked with each word that came out of his lips, and that was the thing about Kemp. He was always….sly, smirking, ahead of you.

"No, we cannot have that at all." Massie responded, before her eyes moved to watch the barista's behind the counter making their drinks.

"He misses you, Mass."

"Well, he should've thought about that."

"Don't be like that, this is hard for him." Kemp murmured into her ear before stepping forward and grabbing the drinks with their names on it.

"Where are we headed first? Prada?"

And Prada they went to. Massie refused to think about who he was talking about, and Kemp refused to push the subject any harder. Not for now, at least. Maybe over drinks tonight when he tries to get her to go to dinner with him.

It felt normal for both of them, shopping together and small talking. They were very close friends, and when she went off to Oxford and he stayed home to work with his mother on his company, the distance took a toll on their friendship. Well, that and her fiance.

Tristan knew of Kemp, knew of Kemp's ways and his reputation. Although he'd never try anything on Massie now - those days have passed, thank you very much, Tristan was always very wary of Kemp. A little bit too aware, he had begun making up any excuse to keep them apart or be in the same room as them, and it got exhausting after a while. The two lost touch, and Kemp hoped during that time, she'd lose Tristan. I guess we can't all be so lucky.

The two tore the mall apart. Massie loved shopping with Kemp, because unlike every other man in her life, Tristan included, Kemp gave her his opinions on outfits. He criticized some of her choices, he helped put together potential ideas, and he actually knew a lot about clothing and fashion because of his family. He was always fun to shop with, too, because he'd always let Massie dress him in whatever she felt fit. He always said yes, it was hard to say no to Massie Block, he thought as they went into Banana Republic.

His stomach lurched, remembering that soon, it won't be Massie Block anymore. Soon, soon it'll be Massie Montgomery Ferguson. He held back a bit of bile in the back of his throat, looking to the brunette that was lost in thought as she ran circles around all the store's employees, asking for this size and this color and 'can this be hemmed by friday?' She cared about Kemp, she cared about them all, but it was always hard for her to show it. This, for some reason, was how she chose to.

After picking out enough outfits that there had to be at least three that were a yes, Massie shooed him off to the changing room. She held court in the comfy armchairs located outside of the dressing room, pulling her phone out when she felt a buzz. What flashed on the screen was something she hadn't seen in a long, long time.

 **The Pretty Committee Chat 💅 👑**

 **Leesh: So, I'm thinking of wearing navy on Saturday, what about u guys?**

 **Deeeeelyn: i was gonna go w/ black to mourn massie's singleness**

 **K Gregs: Possible pink? Thoughts?**

 **Claire Lie-ons: my blazer probs, or a pantsuit.**

Massie blinked rapidly for a solid minute, before forming a reply.

 **Massikur: i'll b the one in white ;)**

 **Leesh: queue SQUEALING! OMG!**

Massie let out an easy breath, seeing how well the girls were interacting together gave her some hope.

"What do you think? I feel like I'd definitely need to take the pants in a little, and the blazer is a little tight on the arms, but that I can manage." Kemp took her out of her daydreaming, standing in front of her in a pair of slate grey slacks, a crisp white button down with the top two buttons undone, his Hermes belt, and a matching slate grey blazer draped over his shoulders.

"I think it's fabulous!" The alpha exclaimed proudly, patting herself on the back for effect, which Kemp laughed at. "Let's try the hunter green next?" She requested politely.

"Your wish is my command," he mused, before leaning in and kissing her on the head once more. Then, he was off to the fitting room for outfit number two.

It was like her life was finally falling into place again. She couldn't be happier, but also more wary. Kemp was always a solid, he was always going to come back to her at some point. The other boys, though? Between her and her girlfriends, she wasn't sure how easy that would be, or if they'd even want to.

Distracting herself, she pulled Snapchat up on her phone and replied to a few of her friends from Oxford she barely kept in contact with, except over snapchat. That was their thing. She flipped the camera so it was facing her, put on the flames filter, and took about ten selfies before deciding on one to add to her story. "Waiting for Kemp like…." she captioned it, before posting it to her story. The girl smirked, knowing what an uproar it'll be that she was with Kemp Hurley.

The man in question came back up to her, in a pair of dark hunter green dress pants, a black button down shirt, and a black jacket he held over one shoulder. He leaned against the wall and gave her a wink and smirk.

"So, I take it you like that one?" Massie mused, letting out a small giggle at his ridiculous antics.

"I do think this one's a winner," he replied with the same shit eating grin he always used to wear.

That was the thing about Kemp. He's cocky and snarky, and basically like if Massie was a boy. They got along so well, and they always watched out for each other. Kemp would scare off any man not worthy of Massie's time, and Massie would crush any girl who was less than worthy of going on a sushi date with Kemp.

Watching the brunette retreat back into the fitting room, murmuring something about trying on an all black manner, Massie wondered why they really stopped talking. She wasn't sure, but she had a feeling it had something to do with Tristan. She knew Kemp didn't like her like that - he hadn't in _years_ \- so the thought laid in her mind. What if it was Tristan?

Somehow, things get more complicated when you get closer to being married. Things change, people change, relationships change. Everything is shared, which Massie was never opposed to, but he doesn't share the way she does. There's a lot about his life she doesn't know, which makes her uncomfortable. The idea used to thrill her, but looking at the engagement ring on her left finger, it suddenly felt very heavy, heavy with the weight of his secrets.

Her new mission, whether or not she wanted to, was to try and dig deep into the life of Tristan Montgomery Ferguson, before it was too late.

"Think he'd be insulted if I asked for a pre-nup?" The brunette inquired as Kemp left his room, about to ask her opinion on this next outfit. When she let out that bomb, he sighed and sat down on the coffee table in front of her with his legs crossed.

"Clearly if you're asking me, you think he would be." The boy reasoned, reaching out and taking her hands into his. "What's going on, Mass?"

The alpha shrugged her thin shoulders, moving her eyes to a piece of bean's hair that was latched onto her coat. God, she wanted to rip it off right now.

"I just….I feel like I don't really….know him?" She squeaked out, not having really spoken about that with anyone but Dylan. She did not like how her voice sounded right now.

"What makes you say that?" The boy pondered.

"You." Massie spoke softly, looking up at him with her bright amber eyes. "We stopped talking, Kemp, totally. I know it wasn't on my end, and I'm sure it wasn't on yours either."

"Mass, some things are hard to explain…"

"I'm nawt stupid, Kemp." The only time that accent came out anymore was when she was upset.

The boy sighed, leaning back and squeezing her hands before letting them fall into her lap. "He doesn't like my reputation, he always thought I was making moves on you. He thought I'd try to charm you like I do everyone else, no matter how many times I told him you and I are and will never be like that."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"You were finally happy, Massie. I wasn't going to jeopardize that for you, not now, not after everything."

"Kemp, I don't really know if I'm happy." She murmured, before straightening her back and looking up at him. "I can't even think about my feelings right now, to be honest. I have to make amends with Kristin, Derrick, and Cam before saturday."

At that, Kemp raised his eyebrows.

"Kendra's orders."

Looking him up and down, she really did like this outfit. It was such good color combination, she was almost annoyed she didn't think of it sooner.

Many hours and many shopping bags later, the two were ready to leave. She could barely hold all the bags she had. Who said retail therapy wasn't real? She'd have to write them a very strongly worded letter.

"Are you hungry?" Kemp asked, turning to look at her struggle with all her bags before he took some out of her hands to help her.

"Starving," the girl replied with a giggle as her stomach began to grumble, as if to prove her point.

"Sushi?" He asked, and was met with eager eyes and a very firm nod.

After a long debate of which sushi restaurant to go to, they settled on KoMo. When the subject of driving came up, Kemp considered this. He knew she needed to drink, so he proposed she could drive to her house, he'll drive to his, and his family driver could bring them both. With a nod and a hug goodbye, they both parted ways.


	7. chapter six

After parking her car in her long, circular driveway, Massie climbed out and locked it before making her way up the stone stairs of the mansion and into the entryway. There, she began to hang her coat up on the coat rack when she heard a cough in the foyer. Peering over, she saw Tristan and William both resting on two arm chairs, reading the Bloomberg Business Digest.

"I didn't know you were home!" She squealed, dropping her heels off by the door for Inez to collect before padding her little feet to where her fiance was sitting.

"Yeah, we called it an early day." Tristan explained, reaching his arms out to her as she came and sat beside him.

"Did you two want to have dinner with Kendra and I?" William asked, peeking over the top of his newspaper.

"Well,...I actually have dinner plans. Which, Tris, you're invited to if you'd like to join," she quickly recovered, eyes pinging from her fiance to her father.

Tristan's mouth settled in a straight line.

"Oh no, that's okay, Massie. I'm sure William and I have more to discuss about our meeting today, anyway. Who are you going out with?"

Massie bit her lip.

"Kemp, Kemp Hurley. I actually ran into him at the mall, and we spent some time shopping together. He's going to come pick me up, in a little bit, actually, so I better start getting ready."

The brunette rushed through her explanation, before darting up the padded stairs to get ready. William and Tristan shared a knowing look, before Tristan sighed and rose from his seat. Leaving his newspaper half read on the chair, he began taking the stairs, two at a time.

He loved Massie for her fire, for her will and her passion. Her ability to make any man crumble at her own will, whether she was even aware of it or not. She had power, she was fierce, she had a fire in her eyes and in her chest.

What he did not love, however, was her ability to misconceive her 'friends'. She didn't understand that sometimes, those severed ties should remain that way for both of their benefit. He was more surprised at Kemp's behavior, asking Tristan's fiance to dinner was a ballsy one.

The blonde entered her room without knocking, watching his fiance rush round the room with an amused grin and a raised brow.

"Hot date?" He asked in his low tone, meaning he was somewhat amused, and somewhat pissed off.

"Don't even, Ferguson. There's not even an inkling of anything between Kemp and I, never was, and never will be."

"Well good, considering how big of a manwhore he is."

The blonde took post at her desk chair, crossing his arms over his chest as Massie grew irritated.

"Do nawt call him that!"

"Someone's awfully defensive."

"Yeah, because he didn't do anything wrong! And, he's my friend!"

"Is he really though, Mass? Is he? Did you talk once you left New York?"

"I didn't text him and he didn't text me, it was mutual, not one sided. He doesn't deserve all the blame."

"Doesn't matter, true friends would at least try. Hell, you've been in Westchester the past three months, yes on a low profile, but everyone knew you were here. Why didn't he try to connect with you?"

"I didn't try to connect with anyone!"

"Everyone knows his mother uses him for their company's contracts!"

"And my dad uses me, what's the difference?"

"But you're selling stocks, trading equities, managing millions while he's selling long sleeve shirts in department stores!"

"Tristan, do not try to demean him."

"I'm just saying!"

"You don't have this problem with Josh, meanwhile he's a model and designer."

"Josh is _married_!"

"And I am _almost married!_ "

"Kemp isn't!"

"Do you trust me?"

"Mass, you aren't who I have the issue with."

"Then why is it so different with every other guy?"

"Because I know how he thinks! I've seen it!"

"I guess I just have a hard time understanding because he's basically my brother!"

"You don't have a brother, M."

" _Exactly_!"

"I just don't want him taking advantage of you."

"Oh, like your loser college friends did to me that night?"

"Don't pull that card, Massie."

"Uhm, hi, sorry, pulling that card right now. _Swipe Swipe_!"

"He's done bad things to so many other girls, what makes you think you aren't next?"

The only answer was her bathroom door slamming closed. Massie couldn't deal with his nonsense sometimes. His stupid manly testosterone drove her off the walls, and not in a good way. Massie used to love the controlling, dominating type, but now it just makes her skin crawl and her head hurt. Tugging her black studded Alexander McQueen cropped sweater, she could hear his voice ringing in her ears.

The knock at her bathroom door was soft, like he knew he upset her, but firm, like he wasn't going to budge on his stance of Kemp. Massie elected to ignore it, instead running a flat iron through her chestnut layers. He could sure as hell do more than just knock.

"Mass, I'm sorry." He spoke through the wooden door after another five minutes passed.

"Babe, I just care about you, about us. I'm sorry I get so crazy sometimes." Tick tock, she was able to finish her shiny liquid winged liner and bright red pout.

"Are you really not going to answer?" Her fiance asked a third

time, beginning to get frustrated.

Massie waited thirty seconds before opening the door and staring at him.

"Please, don't judge my friends. I don't judge your rude,

obnoxious, loud Alabama State friends/incestuals that sleep with their siblings, so I'd appreciate you not judging the people _I_ choose to surround myself with."

"I won't. I just...I don't want to lose you, is all." He murmured, wrapping his arms round her hips and pulling her smaller frame into his.

"You aren't going to, but you may start to if you keep this up." Massie warned him. She wasn't one to do that in a relationship, but it was getting so fucking annoying.

"I promise I'll work on it." He gave her a toothy grin, placing a soft kiss to her forehead.

"Go out and have fun, okay?" Tristan smiled, before heading

downstairs and back to the newspaper calling his name.

Little did she know, he did _not_ want her having any sort of fun. But right now, Mr. Ferguson was on thin ice with Massie. She didn't have time for his attitudes or his temper tantrums, or his need to control. That was _her_ thing. The only other boy she had ever dated besides Tristan was Derrick, who knew she needed to control, and let her.

' _Why couldn't Tristan be just a little bit more like Der-nope.'_ She thought to herself, but quickly shook her head and began pulling on her ripped black skinny jeans, and Dolce & Gabbana black heels with the red rose on the backs. She took her phone, wallet, house keys, and hand sanitizer out of her YSL clutch from earlier, and threw it into her black givenchy nightingale purse before turning her bedroom light off and heading downstairs.

' _Right on time_ ', she mused as she saw the Kemp family's bentley flash their headlights as it sat in the driveway. After blowing a kiss to her father and placing one on Tristan's lips, she was out the door and down the stairs faster than you could blink.

She **really** needed that drink.


	8. chapter seven

[ Alicia is not pregnant yet, she ended up getting her period soon after her and Massie's coffee date. But, that isn't to say that they aren't trying now…..(: ]

* * *

The Hurley's 2018 Bentley Continental GT smelled like new car, which made Massie's smile falter a bit as she climbed inside the sleek backseat beside Kemp.

She missed their older continental, the one she and Alicia couldn't help vomiting inside of on one dizzying night their senior year of high school.

Massie missed where her and Kristen carved their initials into the backseats polished wooden cup holders.

The brunette really missed simpler times, easier times where she was mainly concerned with uploading her weekly in and out list before her bedtime.

Brought back into reality by Kemp's soft grin, he made a joking face and raised an eyebrow.

 _"The warden actually let you out of the house with me?"_

 _"Let me tell you, it wasn't an easy fight."_

 _"I promise to make it worth it, mademoiselle."_

The engine hummed as the Hurley family driver, Franklin, wove in and out of the nightly commute traffic. Franklin's father had driven for the family for years, but after he began to lose his hearing in his 60's, they decided it was better off he give up the driver's license. His son took his place, almost hastily so, because not only did it mean he got to attend the posh parties with the youngest Hurley son, it meant he got to tote him and his hot dates around. And, it came with a pretty check at the end of each drive.

Kemp chuckled to himself, watching as his drive fawned over Massie in his backseat. Rolling it off his shoulders, he threw an arm around her thin frame and tilted his head to the side.

 _"No vomiting in this one, Mass."_

 _"Ugh, it was one time!"_

 _"Vomit stains are forever,"_ he reminded her in a sing-song tone.

* * *

Soon enough, they were ushered out of the car and into the posh sushi restaurant on the edge of Manhattan. It was typically frequented by all kinds of celebrities alike, it had a reputation for having the freshest fish and the best lighting.

 _"Two, please."_ Kemp flashed the hostess a cheeky grin, and she turned her attention to her seating chart fighting the blush that was creeping up her skin.

 _"Make that four!"_ A small voice yelled out cheerily from behind Kemp and Massie.

The two whipped around, locating Alicia and Joshua Hotz coming up to them. Kemp gave Massie a look, and she just shrugged.

 _"She has my location,"_ the chestnut haired alpha explained.

 _"Noted,"_ was Kemp's response, before being pulled into a bone-crushing hug by Josh.

 _"Right this way,"_ the waitress with pin straight jet black hair reaching her lower back spoke in a sultry tone, giving Kemp a wink before leading the way towards one of the booths in the center of the restaurant. Kemp flashed his three friends a thumbs up and a kiss before following the hostess with a thirsty beat in his step.

* * *

Thirty minutes and one phone number on a crumpled napkin later, the four old friends were taking shots of hot sake and reminiscing with glossy eyes.

 _"Remember when you guys won the championship against Meadowville and Plovert threw that huge party?"_ Massie asked.

 _"I think everyone does, besides Leesh, that is."_ Kemp said with an affirmative not.

 _"It's not my fault! I was on amoxicillin and drank two four lokos!"_ Alicia responded dependently.

 _"Who the fuck can drink two four lokos on a good day?!"_ Josh questioned, staring at his wife in disbelief.

* * *

 _"Kemp, I didn't know you got a tattoo in high school!"_ The alpha exclaimed, running her finger over the ink on his bicep.

 _"We all did, the night before graduation."_ The wavy haired boy said with a shrug, like this was **so** four years ago.

 _"What does it say?" She pestered._

 _"Josh, you have one?!"_ Alicia squealed in anger.

" _Uhhhhh…"_ The tanned skin boy stuttered, rubbing the back of his neck as his face flushed.

* * *

 _"I'm sorry, Mass, but you were a psycho in middle school."_ Josh said in a point-blank tone.

 _"And? Your point being….?"_

 _"We were all kind of afraid of you for a while."_

 _"Tell us something we don't know!"_ Alicia yelled, before clinking her shot glass full of clear liquor against Massie's and taking another shot with her best friend.

* * *

 _"Fuck, Kill, Marry. Ready?"_ Kemp questioned the other three at his table. Once he was greeted with nods from all, he began the game.

 _"Josh. Hotz numbero uno. My brother!"_ The boy slurred, throwing an arm across the table and taking both Josh's hands in his own. "Layne Abeley, Kori, Claire."

 _"Can I kill all three?"_ He asked, taking a sweaty hand away from Kemp and straightening the Ralph Lauren Polo hat he replaced his New York Yankees hat with.

"No!" The two girls squealed in unison, watching his every move with wide eyes.

 _"Ugh, fine. Fuck...Kori, Marry Layne, Kill Claire."_ It took him a solid minute to conduct his answer in a full statement without slurring (but he still slurred, just don't tell him).

 _"Leesh! My hot latina!"_ Now Kemp's hands were on her forearms, because he went for her hands and seeing the sweat decided against holding **those**.

 _"Bring it on, Hurley!"_ The raven haired, tanned skin beauty let her almond shaped eyes glimmer in the ambient lighting of the restaurant as her and Massie added an empty raspberry rice wine bottle to the collection of the four sake bottles on their table, alongside empty plates of half eaten sushi rolls and appetizers.

 _"Me, Cam, and Harris."_

 _"Oh wow, two Fishers!"_ Massie giggled, kneeing her friend and leaning her head against Kemp's shoulder because the world was slowly growing louder and spinning more by the minute.

 _"Fuck...Harris, Kill Cam, Marry you because then we can be celibate."_

 _"DAMN IT!"_ Kemp slammed his fist on the table in mock frustration before sending a wink over to Alicia.

 _"Do me! Do me! Wait...don't! But but, you know what I mean."_ Massie's amber eyes were on fire, her face had a glow and her smile lit the entire restaurant up.

She could count on one hand the amount of times Tristan made her this happy, as happy as sitting around with her old school best friends and playing dumb games, making gross jokes and laughing at their own stupidity. They taunted each other with their past antics, but it was all in good fun and for once it felt real.

 _"Okay, Miss Needy!"_ Kemp said with a laugh, wrapping his arm round her thin shoulders as she giggled with anticipation.

 _"This fine young man, Joshua Hotz."_

 _"Okay."_

 _"Landon Crane."_

 _"Ugh, so ninth grade."_ She yawned, before taking her fork and digging into a plate of tempura vegetables.

 _"And….Derrick."_

The silence in the restaurant was suddenly deafening. So was the sound of Massie's fork hitting the plate, because she wasn't ready to go _there_ yet. She knew her drunk state was going to get the best of her, and we all know what drunk minds say that sober minds do not.

 _"Let's make this a little more interesting,"_ Joshua started, his eyes lighting up with excitement as he and Kemp made eye contact. They both needed to know the truth, for their sake, and hers. _"Let's throw a cuddle in there too….and add Tristan."_

The silence they were greeted with was confirmation that this was going to be real honest, and probably real brutal.

 _"Okay. So, let's see. I think I would… Well, I'd have to kill Josh because I could never sleep with him."_

 _"Thank you!" Alicia grinned lazily, lifting her pointer finger to signify 'point!'_

 _"Landon Crane would definitely get a cuddle, I got that boy out of my system years ago!"_

Kemp nodded exaggeratedly in agreement, just wanting her to say the words they all know is true.

 _"Tristan is so hot, definitely worth a fuck, but marriage is a very strong word."_ She rambled off, momentarily forgetting that she was indeed engaged to be married to this man. Damn, that sake was good.

 _"And marry Derrick, because who doesn't want to fall asleep next to the love of their life?"_


	9. chapter eight

Wednesday morning greeted Massie by blinding her with its cheery sunlight. Leaning over, she grunted and ripped the curtains closed. Her maid had pulled them open earlier that morning, as Massie usually requests because it helps her wake up and start her day. Today was not going to be one of those types of productive ones, she thought to herself as she buried her head further into her down pillows.

Although she was marrying Tristan soon, her father still wasn't a fan of him sleeping in her bed every night, so yesterday he had went back to his apartment shortly after Massie went out to dinner and drinks.

 _Fuck, what happened at dinner?_

It was all such a blur, she hoped that when she went through the messages on her iPhone, it would jog her memory.

 **#TBT🍻🍻**

 **Leesh: Who's idea waz the sake**

 **Kemp: Yours,** **niña.**

 **Joshy Hotzy: Guys keep it down my head won't stop pounding**

 **Kemp: Massikur u there?**

 **Kemp: Hope u kno ur secret is safe w/ us**

" _What the fuck is he talking about?!"_ She murmured to herself as her thumbs typed on the touch screen.

 **Massikur: what secret?**

Before she could get a proper answer, she was bombarded by phone calls from both Kemp and Alicia. She settled on answering Alicia, sending Kemp a 'did i rly do that' text.

 _"Puh-lease tell me you're kidding,"_ the latina whisper-yelled into her phone, as her heels were heard pacing through the marble-tiled bathroom at Ralph Lauren's corporate office. Her and Josh had a meeting with more designers in an hour, so she tried to keep her voice somewhat calm.

 _"I have no idea what happened, Leesh. What secret?"_ Massie exclaimed at the tone of Alicia's voice, she'd never whisper-yell unless some serious shit went down.

 _"Oh my god, you actually do not remember a thing, do you?"_

 _"Not after Josh telling me that they all feared my gorgeous blowouts and french manicures in middle school."_

 _"Okay, well, I don't think he said it like th-"_

 _"LEESH!"_

 _"Okay, okay, you can have that one. Anyway, so Kemp had us play a dumb fuck marry kill game, because you know we're all twelve years old when we're together."_

 _"Okay."_

 _"Okay, and maybe he asked JOSH if he'd rather fuck marry or kill KUH-LAIRE, but whatever."_

 _"You're stalling."_

 _"You said you'd fuck Tristan because, and I quote because I'm a journalist, 'he is definitely worth a fuck, but marriage is a strong word."_

 _"Oh my god."_

 _"No, wait, I'm not done!"_ Alicia's heel stomp echoed through the phone.

" _Okay Leesh, what else_?" Now, the alpha was growing very impatient. She replied to Kemp's thumbs up emoji before climbing out of bed and heading to her in suite master bathroom to shower off her sleep and liquor-filled brain.

" _You said you would marry Derrick, because 'who doesn't want to fall asleep next to the love of their life?"_

Massie couldn't tell if the sudden wave that overcame her was of embarrassment or guilt. They both felt the same, and left a pit full of nausea inside her stomach as her insides churned. Was it the hangover, or did the whole room just raise twelve degrees? Little beads of sweat balled up on the back of her neck, and she grabbed her bathrooms black granite countertop to keep steady.

 _"You there, Mass?"_ Alicia decided that the silence was going on for too long. " _I know it's hard to remember, and I really hoped you'd remember so I didn't have to do this. I think you guys need closure, especially before your parents throw that huge party this weekend. You two need to talk, and you really need to make sure this whole Tristan thing is what you actually want, before you're stuck in a marriage you regret every night_."

 _"How do I know, Leesh?"_ Massie asked her best friend in a quiet voice, because it was about all she could muster right now. She hadn't come to terms with those feelings regarding Derrick in literal years, and what, one drunk night it just all pours out of her?! What kind of self control does she have?

 _"Mass, you just know. You'll just know whether or not you want to spend the rest of your life with him. You'll know if you want to sleep next to him every night, yell at him for making the thermostat too cold, argue with him about which show you want to watch on a wednesday night, and scold him for saying the wrong thing to your mom. But, you'll also know if you see a real future with him, children with him, everything with him. You'll throw your identity away and basically take his, so make sure you're ready for that."_ Alicia wanted to add in another comment, but bit back her tongue.

 _"I'm going to take a shower, I'll call you after."_

Massie never called.

Massie never called because once she got out of her steamy bathroom, her eyes landed on her fiance sitting on her bed, holding a tense position. His arms were bulging, his eyes were dark, and his forehead was hot.

 _"How drunk were you?"_ That was the first thing out of his mouth. Not a 'hello', not a 'good morning', not a 'can I bring you coffee?'. No, and one look into his eyes told her she didn't want to ask him for one.

 _"We had sake."_ Massie's voice came out as weak, as soft. This was not the kind of girl she was. She was the kind of girl to kick boys in the ass, keep them coming back for more, and always be on top. With Tristan, there was no top.

 _"Sake with Kemp and who else, Alicia? Josh? Was Derrick there for good measure, too?"_ His voice sounded so snarky and hostile, it made her flinch. Or, did the mention of Derrick coming from Tristan's mouth just feel **that** wrong?

 _"Alicia and Josh ran into us there, so we all sat together. We had sake and sushi and made fun of ourselves in high school. Is this over?"_ Massie snapped the last part, Tristan was growing on all of her damn nerves.

 _"You know I don't like you around Kemp, and you did it anyway."_ The boy spoke in such an eerily calm manner that she felt the baby hairs on the back of her neck stand up stick straight. Massie closed her amber eyes tightly, willing him to just get on with it so she could kick him out and continue on with her day. Usually he'd scold her, she'd kick him out, and not speak to him for two days. That was how disagreements went with Tristan. You had to let him get his way first, then treat him like the child he was.

None of her friends knew how fucking crazy he was. He's a self-glorified egomaniac, who needs to feel superior in order to feel better about himself. Massie was told she was crazy and a bitch and a narcissist, but she'd take that over an egomaniac any day. She liked to think she turned over a new leaf since high school ended and the real world began for her. College was a wakeup call, where you could be the best dressed in the room, but if you were a total bitch, nobody cared what you looked like, dressed like, or who your parents were. College made her grow up.

"What is going on in here?!" Dylan yelled as she entered Massie's bedroom.

The sudden new voice made Massie jump out of her thoughts and out of her skin, while Tristan flinched as he lowered his arm to his side. She didn't even realize he had raised it, so distracted in her own thoughts, as she usually was when he would grow angry. What was he going to do with that hand? He plastered a fake grin on to his plump pink lips, a grin that read 'tell no one' to his fiancée before turning around and facing the redhead. He opened his mouth to speak, but Dylan raised her hand to silence him and stepped up so she was right under him.

 _"I see you lift that fucking hand one more time at her, and I'll have your ass thrown out of this house. You're just the type too, you arrogant asshole. I'm sure William would love to know what just went down, or what would've if I didn't come in and ruin your fun. If you want to try me, I'd love it. I'll get you on the next plane to Mexico so_ _ **fucking**_ _fast, Montgomery. Are we clear?"_

Without a word, Tristan abruptly ran out of the room and down the stairs. He murmured a goodbye to William, mumbled something about having a stomach ache, and was out the front door before Massie's father could get a word out.

The girls shared glances, Massie standing there in her robe with a towel wrapped around her head, and Dylan opposite her in a pair of navy lululemon leggings, a white zip up activewear top, and a gym bag hung lazily over her shoulder where she stowed a change of clothes. Her original plan was to come to Massie's and shower, then the two would head off into Manhattan to have lunch with Kristen. Clearly, this situation was more important.

Massie broke down in the silence, coming to her knees and holding her breath as Dylan followed suit and held her close.

 _"That never happened before,"_ Massie breathed out quietly, tying knots around her fingertips with the strap of her robe. _"I feel like I don't even know who he's becoming, Dylan."_

The redhead didn't speak, mainly because she wasn't sure what to say. In the past, in school classes, you're told that if you see something, you should say something. Dylan just didn't know when she should say something, and to who.

She sent an SOS text to Kristen, as Massie crumbled in her arms.

Kristen agreed to come by Dylan's later tonight to help her with her Massie situation, although she wasn't sure what kind of situation the girl with the perfect life and perfect fiancée would have.

" _Mass, you have to tell someone."_ The redhead murmured, leaving her chin to rest on the top of Massie's head.

" _I know."_ Her alpha spoke in a defeated tone, and Dylan knew a piece of her broke watching the girl who was her best friend, knew all her secrets, and led her throughout high school, was breaking down.

" _Maybe we need a sleepover,"_ Dylan suggested quietly. She felt Massie nod her head, taking it as confirmation Dylan then texted Alicia, asking her to attend as well. Claire, well, Claire they could figure out another time.


	10. chapter nine

Kemp fought back a grin as he read Massie's text, considering the male in question was now across from him at the City Limits Diner. He typed back an "o yea u did", before setting his now-locked phone down screen first and looked back at Derrick across the table.

Derrick had definitely grown more attractive after graduation, if that was even possible considering all of BOCD voted him as 'Adonis' in their yearbook. Adonis, who died and was resurrected, who supposedly changed our seasons. Derrick sort of had his own transformation, but some things stayed the same. He still had the same sense of humor, but he grew up. As the new CEO of Harrington and Montgomery Enterprises and the lead goalie for the New York City FC Professional Soccer Team, he had a lot on his plate, but he was fortunate enough to say he did what he really loved.

No one knew how passionately Derrick felt about ethical entrepreneurship. His father's company is an ethical business consulting firm, the first of it's kind, that took off when Derrick was young. Now, the firm has an office in every major city. The point of the firm is to not only protect employees, but to help make the transition to ethically sourced goods and materials, promote safe work environments and social responsibility.

Since Derrick could remember, his father always used to sit him down at sunday dinner and tell him the same few sentences. "Derrick, you're a Harrington. You treat women with respect, you treat the environment with respect, and you take responsibility for what you cause." Although his middle school and some of his high school career doing the exact opposite, he realized he needed to step up to the plate as the alpha to the boys, and make a statement. Derrick always believed in leading by example, so he set out to do just that with his friend group.

Some of the boys, like Cam and Josh, understood. Some, mainly Kemp, did not. But, he didn't try to change anyone. He just hoped he'd be around to pick up the pieces when it all goes wrong. But, for now, he was staring at Kemp across the table and growing concerned at the look the surfer looking male was giving him.

" _What?"_ Harrington asked, growing impatient.

" _You know what."_ Kemp stated simply before taking a sip of his coffee.

" _Dude, what do you want me to say? Hearing that makes me happy, but not only is she with someone else, she's_ _ **marrying**_ _someone else."_

" _Don't sound so defeated!"_ Kemp almost yelled at him out of frustration. After years of watching Derrick still pine over Massie, he was content with just leaving her be? _"Clearly she isn't happy."_

" _And why is that my problem? Actually, why is it your problem!?"_

Kemp breathed out a long and hard sigh, watching as Derrick scooped up some of his scrambled eggs with white american cheese onto his toast and took a loud bite. Kemp had finished his breakfast of black coffee, adderall, and a bacon egg and cheese croissant about fifteen minutes ago. Prior to this conversation, because he was too hungover to properly tell Derrick the story until he had food in his system.

" _It isn't anyone's problem, it's your solution. I thought out of any of us, you'd be the happiest, but_ _ **excuse**_ _me for caring about your feelings! I won't make the same mistake again!"_ The brunette pouted, giving the dirty blonde across the booth a very dirty look with a pouty lip.

" _I appreciate it, Kemp. I do. But, the fact is she can say whatever she wants when she's drunk, but she didn't say it to me. We haven't spoken in four years. Not since she signed my yearbook saying 'go fuck yourself and get bent over the soccer goal.' I think it's her turn to initiative things, yeah?"_

" _If she was to, would you answer?"_

Not even a second of hesitation went by before, _"Yes."_

" _Do you still love her?"_

" _Yes."_

" _Okay. So, how about those Yankees, huh?"_

" _You know I don't give a shit about baseball."_

" _Well, I hoped maybe that changed."_ Kemp shrugged, before stealing a piece of Derrick's toast.

Alicia and Josh were sitting at their breakfast bar, her feet on his lap as Kemp was flailing his arms all around their kitchen. Alicia prayed to the God's above he didn't break Josh's Skybar Wine Serving System or her Hammacher Juicer.

" _This isn't like him! He doesn't give up, like, in the twenty plus years I have known Derrick Harrington."_

" _Does he not love her anymore?"_ Alicia wondered out loud.

Kemp snapped at her. _"Chica! Are you listening? He literally said yes!"_

" _Okay, oh mi god! Just stop flailing like a mad man!"_ At that, Kemp simmered.

" _Something tells me we need to have a guy's day again. Get everyone in one space, corner him, and figure it out."_

Before Alicia could suggest anything, her phone buzzed on the white marble countertops. She unlocked her phone, sliding to her messages and raising an eyebrow as she read her latest from Dylan. _"How about tonight?"_

Josh nodded and began typing out a message to all the boys. _"Tonight works, but why tonight?"_

" _Because it looks like I'm having a sleepover with the girls tonight. And honey, you need to be out of here by six thirty."_

" _For fuck's sake,"_ the tanned boy groaned while Kemp chuckled at his pain.

" _We can do it at my place, Hotz."_ Josh agreed, updating the group who all, so far, have responded in various different ways of yes.

 **#4THEBOYSSS 💀 🍻 🖕**

 **Joshy Hotzy: guy's night, my place, 8 pm tonight.**

 **Plovyy: I'm down.**

 **Kemp: HELL YEA**

 **Plovyy: Dark and brooding, bring the keg?**

 **Joshy Hotzy: change of plans, kemp's at 7, i got booted**

 **Fisherman: ya i can bring it**

 **Derrington #23: ok c u then**

 **Kemp: group chat, der. c us all then u rude ass**

 **Derrington #23: ya sure whatevs**

 **Plovyy: Can't we all just be nice and get along?**

 **Fisherman: & wat, bake a cake? **

**Joshy Hotzy: anyone wanna bring a cake?**

 **Kemp: i got u joshy**


	11. chapter ten

wowwww, ten chapters. this is the first story i've stuck this far with :) so reviews are appreciated!

* * *

Smoke filled the air, making it hazy and a little bit harder to breathe.

It smelt like dirty soccer cleats and shinguards, mixed with the stench of cognac.

Despite the open windows, the air was thick and stagnant.

The light grey carpets were spotted with darker grey areas, some little driblets of spills, and in one room the entire carpet was now basically black.

Posters of barely-clothed women plastered the walls surrounding the boys as they traded off blunts for juuls and vapes, slices of greasy pineapple and pepperoni pizza from A Slice Of Heaven, and pints of beer or shots of whiskey.

Kemp's place was a **fucking disaster**.

And Cam loved it.

Josh and Derrick were at it on the leather couches, playing Fortnite and continuously yelling at each other. This was the norm, for all of them. Derrick is a sore loser and Josh is a video game freak, even though Alicia doesn't let him play when she's home because the screaming 'throws off her balance' or some shit. The mere thought made Cam roll his eyes. It was like once Josh got married, he wasn't allowed to do anything he wanted anymore. Alicia could have a dance studio, but Josh couldn't practice soccer on their field outside. What the point of having a field was when he couldn't even use it was beyond the raven haired boy.

" _Hey what the FUCK dude!"_

" _I told you to cover me!"_

" _I did! It wasn't me!"_

" _Oh, bullshit! Just meet me on the green roof."_

" _Who would honestly paint their roof green?"_

" _How realistic even is this game?"_

" _It's not a game!"_

Plovert was hanging off of the leather armchair, his feet hovering off of the arm rests and his body horizontal. He seemed to be really into his phone, Cam noted with a curious squint to see if he could make out any of the words, or who he was even texting. He couldn't, but he could guess it was his long time girlfriend, Dylan. What about though? His thumbs were moving at the speed of lightning, and for some reason, his entire body was facing away from Derrick. Cam made a mental note to either ask him or steal his phone at some point during the night. Chris is so open about everything, though, that a few more beers in and Cam won't even have to do it because he'll just spill it all.

" _Can I get a hit?"_ Cam asked, nodding to the juul.

He didn't smoke weed like the rest of them. The juul was his only vice, and even that wasn't too bad. After all his drug campaigns, he needed an outlet and the juul was a rare thing. He only juuled if the guys were smoking, and at that, he'd only take about four or five hits before handing it over for the night. It was more of a fidget kind of thing, not an addiction or a desire.

Kemp was Cam's favorite to study. He was so intriguing with his mannerisms, and how hard he would try to hide his feelings. It worked on everyone else, but Cam was always able to call bullshit on Kemp like no other.

They grew closer as their families reconcile their differences back a few years ago. Kemp's mom hated Cam's mom because Cam's mom spread the news that Kemp's family was having money troubles, and in retaliation Kemp's mom spread a rumor saying that the Fisher's were new money. None of this is relevant, of course, because women are catty yet manage to blow over their drama almost as quickly as they happened.

Currently, though, Kemp was laying on the floor with a head filled with stars and a stomach full of pizza. He burped loudly, taking his sleeve and wiping at his mouth before stretching his arms out in front of him. He felt content, for the first time in a while. Who would've thought that this was all he needed?

" _So when are we going back to BOCD for that Alumni soccer game?"_ Josh asked, over the loud noises coming from the television.

" _Whenever they invite us,"_ Kemp snickered before turning over to face all of the boys. _"We ran that team, why didn't they invite us?"_

He was met with blank stares as Derrick ended their game.

" _Dude, we're literally the only ones invited."_ Hotz deadpanned.

" _What the fuck Kemp?"_ Derrick stuttered.

" _Do you not get your mail?"_ Chris pondered.

" _We are the reason there is an Alumni game…"_ Cam pointed out, raising an eyebrow.

That's the thing with Kemp. Sometimes, his head is so far up everyone else's asses and drama that he is so unaware of reality. Or, maybe he's just really troubled and can't concentrate on his own issues so he chooses to focus on theirs.

" _So, Derrick. Now we're all together, let's share with the class."_ Kemp Hurley prodded, running an empty hand through his hair before filling his pint glass back up.

" _What do you mean?"_ For once, the boy in question actually looked confused.

" _Do you love her?"_ Chris asked softly, but the room without Fortnite was silent enough that everyone heard.

" _You told everyone?!"_ Derrick accused Kemp, staring daggers at him.

" _Welllllllll….maybe? Does it really matter?"_

" _Yes it does!"_

" _So you do love her!"_ Plovert grinned.

" _YES I do! Okay? I do! But who cares! She's getting married to another man, not me."_

" _Wow, you have become docile in your old age,"_ Cam whistled.

" _What's that supposed to mean?"_ Derrick's shoulders were rising and falling, a key hint that he was beginning to get frustrated.

" _It means the old Derrick would fight for her, not just take it and lie down."_

* * *

Diptyque Tuberose and Jasmine candles casted a sweet smell in the air, as the girls all laid on the large bed Alicia and Josh had settled on using for their new entertainment room.

It was set up with a huge television screen and the room was used for showing movies, but instead of couches, there was an enormous sized bed for viewers to lay or lounge on.

There was a bowl of lightly coconut oiled popcorn between each girl, courtesy of Alicia and Josh's cooks. No, it wasn't hard to make, but Alicia could burn water, so.

Or, at least, she burned enough of their meals when they lived together that Josh had enough and hired a personal chef for their home. A win win, pretty much.

Bridesmaids was playing on the huge screen that hung down from the wall, but the girls weren't paying attention to the movie.

They were more focused on the fact that their alpha was distraught, and felt like her life was falling apart.

Kristen was listening to Massie's rant thoughtfully, letting her get it all out before responding because she knows how annoying it is to keep repeating yourself because someone won't stop talking over you. She picked at her cuticles, wrapping one of the Barefoot Dreams plush cheetah print blankets around her slim frame. The blonde missed having that companionship with someone, it had been so long for her since she had been with anyone. She let her job take over her life, and loved every minute of it, but what's the point of hard work if she doesn't have anyone to celebrate it with?

Alicia tightened the robe she was wearing around her abdomen, feeling very bloated and quite nauseous. She wasn't sure why, but blamed it on a mix of all the sake and the sushi. She really could never hold down any raw fish and alcohol combo, but she was feeling it last night. Her and Josh, since getting married, hadn't really gone out with friends. Barely any of their friends had significant others, so Massie and Tristan were their go-to's, but seeing how things are rocky with them, Alicia didn't know what to take it as. She was also waiting for Massie to tell her the truth, when all the girls leave in the morning, of course.

Dylan was laying on her side, eyes glued to her iphone's messages screen. Kristen, who was sitting beside her, just assumed she was on the phone with one of the clients that she life-coaches, or Plovert. Dyl knew she had to confide in someone about Massie's secret, but wasn't sure how she wanted to go about it. Who would she tell? Surely, William needs to know the kind of mess he's signing his business off to, and letting his daughter marry. Which, that also needed to change, or the redhead wouldn't have a problem objecting at the ceremony in her champagne Louboutins.

" _It's just...like, can I get any freedom?"_ The alpha complained, crossing her arms over her chest and huffing which brought everyone out of their own thoughts.

Massie had made Dylan swear to secrecy that she wouldn't tell a soul what she witnessed. Dylan, being the good friend, agreed. Dylan, being the not-so-good friend, knew she needed to tell a soul in order to fix this mistake Massie was making with her future.

" _We had so much fun, too."_ Alicia drawled before taking a small sip of her Perrier.

" _I just can't believe he thinks he can control you like that,"_ Kristen murmured as she munched on a handful of popcorn. " _Like, you're Massie-fucking-Block."_

" _You made him!"_ Dylan yelled, after remembering how her father is the only reason why he's even **in** Westchester.

Massie sighed deeply, letting her eyes travel all around the room while her head was swarmed with thoughts of everything. What was she supposed to do? She has this party this weekend her parents are throwing, she can't just go up to them and say 'Oh hey, mom and dad, i'm actually marrying a psychopath who tried hitting me earlier this week. Kisses!'

She also couldn't marry him, but she couldn't not. He was such a sweet man before, and he is still to this day, but his anger is just out of hand. Plus, William was ready to sign over half the company to him. Like, his contract is already drawn and sitting in the desk drawer Massie snooped through last week looking for a lighter. It's done, she's done.

If she told her parents what happened, if she told her father what happened, he'd think she's weak and a liability. She couldn't have that, not when she worked this hard. She was soon shaken out of her thoughts, deciding she didn't want to waste their first sleepover in the past six years talking about her shitty situation. That could wait until at least the third.

" _So, Kris, how's Wall Street?"_ The amber eyed beauty asked the girl that was in the middle of the big bed.

" _It's amazing! I'm one of the like, eight girls, so I'm sure you can guess how that is, but I love the rush. It's so exciting, plus I feel like I actually did something with my life. Imagine if I tried collecting art?"_

" _Hey, art collectors have talent! They are visionaries,"_ Dylan purred before throwing her long silky red hair over her right shoulder and bringing giggles out of all the girls.

Alicia might've been sitting on the sidelines for the night, but she was totally fine with that. Seeing all of them interact so positively brought so much hope into her system, tears in her eyes and her voice deep in her throat.

She had never imagined it would be this fun, this easy, this **simple**.

They were all having an amazing time, and it felt like they never walked down the exit steps of BOCD.

Then, she threw up.

Dylan had been mid-conversation, talking about how Massie came to visit the studio and right away criticized the rugs ( _"Who puts white rugs down in a commercial area, Dyl?"_ ) when the wave of nausea currently hitting Alicia grew to be too heavy.

She crawled her way out of the low mattress, snagged her phone off of the coffee table and sprinted to the bathroom.

" _Wow, I've never seen her run that fast,"_ Kristen pointed out in confusion.

" _Not even for the Prada semi-annual exclusive…."_ Dylan trailed off, sensing something was wrong. Alicia refused to break a sweat going to the gym, where you're supposed to do that.

Massie quickly tied her chestnut brown locks into a messy bun with the hair tie on her wrist, and followed the direction Alicia ran in, growing more and more suspicious. Alicia had told Massie earlier this week her pregnancy test ended up negative, and that she swore she wasn't upset. Clearly, though, she had been trying.

Padding up the stairs, Massie could hear Alicia a mile away. Swallowing the vomit growing in her throat, she knocked on the white bathroom door and waited for an answer. When she didn't get one, Massie groaned and began playing with the door knob.

" _Come on, Leesh. Let me in!"_

" _It's unlocked,"_ The small voice rang out loud and clear, and Massie wasted no time running in.

" _So….are you?"_ The brunette was not known for patience or tact, thank you very much. She kneeled down beside Alicia, who was currently slumped over the toilet because she knew if she moved too quickly, she might throw up again.

" _I think I am now,"_ Alicia muttered, gesturing to her stomach and to the toilet she was currently flushing. _"Only one way to find out, though."_

" _Well, until we know, let's chill out on the wine coolers."_

" _I didn't have one today!"_

" _Good, but you shouldn't be having one at all. The sugar levels in them is disgusting!"_ Massie huffed, shaking her head at the thought. She rested her hand on her best friend's back, and began rubbing in soothing circles. _"When do you tell him?"_

" _When I find out for sure."_ Mrs. Hotz's tone was strong and thorough, making it clear this wasn't up for debate.

Massie stood and helped Alicia up, then watched as she brushed her teeth and washed her face in an attempt to clean herself up. When she finally felt okay, Alicia opened the bathroom door and was about to step out when she heard a squeal. Looking down, Dylan and Kirsten were both crumpled on the floor, with very guilty looks on their faces.

 _"YOU'RE PREGNANT!"_ Kristen yelled out of happiness, clapping her hands before wrapping her arms around her friend.

"WE'RE HAVING A BABY!" Dylan spoke mirroring Kristen's tone of excitement, hugging Alicia and Kristen and pulling Massie into it as well.

Massie took a deep breath, thanking the God above that it wasn't her. That was when she really knew she was in deep shit with this wedding.


	12. chapter eleven

" _It means the old Derrick would fight for her, not just take it and lie down."_ That sentenced swirled round and round his brain, haunted him in his sleep since those words were uttered last night.

* * *

" _Don't be like that, Der."_ Dylan scolded, rolling her eyes as the professional soccer player pouted and put his head under his pillows.

Dylan didn't understand what his problem really was. Nobody did, to be honest. Derrick had pinned for Massie for years, even after they graduated high school. They stopped speaking entirely in ninth grade, and the remaining three years at BOCD were calm and quiet on all fronts. The girls didn't interact with the boys, and vice versa. Still, Derrick looked out for her.

He broke Mason Dibb's nose when news of their random hook up after one of the lacrosse team's parties made way throughout the school, where Mason was also telling people how she was a screamer and called him Daddy. (Not true, Dylan confirmed they didn't even get to second base.)

Isabella Cavitch found her nudes spread throughout the senior class after attempting to embarrass Massie in front of everyone in the newly green farmers market-style cafeteria BOCD had added after its renovation back in freshman year. (Very true, Derrick was there.)

Him and Elijah Pavetti had a falling out after he spread a rumor saying that Massie had slept with Kemp, which led to her crying in the girls bathroom for a class period. (Very false, Kemp also took a beating on Pavetti after.)

Katherine Greenwood was run out of town after trying to tell everyone at their high school that Massie had an ongoing fling with their physics teacher's assistant, Mr. Mendoza. (Ridiculously untrue, Mr. Mendoza was a three at best.)

When Massie was absent for a week due to mono, Keegan Alonzo went around telling everyone at BOCD that she had found out she was pregnant. Derrick broke his jaw outside of A Slice Of Heaven after he found out the source of the rumor was Keegan. Massie didn't want to come back to school, out of sheer embarrassment. So, Derrick drove her to school for the first two weeks, claiming he also had his first period free when none of their other friends did so it just made sense they'd carpool. He missed two weeks of Econ, thank you very much.

The entire student body knew Derrick Harrington was protecting Massie Block at all costs.

Their friends all knew.

Massie never did.

Derrick always told himself that when the time was right, she'd find out.

Up until present, she still hasn't.

One day, he'd tell her. But when was that day supposed to come when they don't even speak at public events? Let alone texting, but when they're the only two people at a table, she'll either leave or pretend she doesn't see him. When was he supposed to talk to her?

Derrick Harrington never gave up his love for Massie Block. They were like Romeo and Juliet of Westchester, you know, minus the suicide and marriage and well, you know what I mean. Their love was constantly attacked, they were always being pushed away from each other, and they were both just too damn immature to be together that young. It was one of those situations where they both knew when they grew up, they'd find each other again. Instead, though, Massie became impatient and began looking elsewhere.

They both did some growing, though. Massie grew into a beautiful and sweet young woman, who knew how to take what she wanted, but politely instead of using her mean words and spiteful behaviors to do so. She did a lot of volunteer work throughout business school, working with underprivileged teens and educating as well as advocating for mental health awareness. This was what really helped her through her eating disorder bout in sophomore year.

Derrick was always seen as the immature adonis alpha of the soccer boys. And, well, two of those things are still true, but he isn't immature anymore. After graduation, he was thrown into boot camp to prepare for his budding soccer career. Even though soccer isn't that big in the U.S Professional Sports Division, it was a hell of an accomplishment. The fall was his off season, up through winter until spring began, so this was his transition period into CEO of his father's company.

Whenever he'd be drinking, his thumb would always find her on his phone. Her contact, her FaceBook (that one was bad), her Twitter, or just some old pictures of the two of them he still had in his camera roll.

One drunk and hazy night six months ago, he had actually Snapchatted her a selfie of him in one of those dog filters, but he was with Kemp too, so he knew she'd be more open minded to the picture seeing Kemp there.

She replied with herself in the heart-over-your-head filter, making Derrick officially swoon harder.

He hadn't tried to contact her since then. Before that, their last conversation was when they exchanged yearbooks. He wrote that he'd miss her banter, she wrote that he should go fuck himself.

So.

Was he wrong for thinking she should initiate things after that exchange?

Probably, because it seemed whenever it came to Massie, he was usually wrong.

He just didn't understand.

* * *

" _Why go through with a marriage to a man you don't love?"_

" _I have a funny feeling it isn't really her choice right now."_

" _What do you mean?"_ Derrick asked, picking his head up from underneath his pillows to squint his eyes at the redhead, before looking around and surveying his penthouse apartment. He really did need to give it a good cleaning, the grey-toned wooden floors were looking a little dingy, his pristine white kitchen was littered with dirty pots and pans (yes, he does cook), but he didn't have it in him to clean just yet.

Dylan sighed. " _William isn't giving her the company, he's giving it to Tristan."_

" _Excuse me?"_

" _Yeah, so Massie feels obligated to. The original deal was she'd get it all, now he doesn't think she's as fit because Tristan has been his right hand man since Massie and him started dating."_

" _But...he's going to give it to someone who treats her like that?"_

The redhead ran a hand through her curly mess of hair, untangling a few curls as she did so and allowing her hair to frizz up a bit at the ends. " _You don't know the half of it,"_ Dylan mumbled, which in turn led to Derrick hounding her with questions she wasn't ready to answer.

After the sixth question she said she couldn't answer, he threw his hands up into the air in frustration and climbed out of his bed. Dylan was sitting on the armchair across from his bed, watching the boy as he began putting his fingers through his own hair now.

Derrick just didn't understand why Dylan was being so damn cryptic. What was the point in it when they both knew she was going to crack and tell him everything anyway? Dylan and Derrick had a different kind of relationship. They were very close, and told each other basically everything. Plovert sometimes was caught in their crossfire when they'd have their dumb tiffs and fights, but he didn't care too much because he knew it was all out of love.

" _What can you tell me?"_

" _Derrick, it isn't that easy."_

" _Why not? Tell me why not, then."_

" _If I told you what I saw, you'd run right out of here. We can't be irrational about this, we need to be calculating, we need to be clever and we need to take it into our own hands._

" _Why would I be irrational?"_

Dylan knew if anyone, she needed to tell him. She hoped he'd have a clear head, he'd be able to help her because who would be more enraged than Derrick Harrington, self proclaimed protector of Massie Block? Dyl knew she needed them all on the same page, she needed all of their friends on the same page, but she didn't want to be the one going around telling everyone. She hoped that if Derrick and her could convince everyone else to be on board without giving them the private details, they had a fighting chance.

" _Okay, so Mass and I were supposed to meet Kris in the city yesterday for lunch. I went to her house like we agreed on, Inez's daughter let me in. I was heading up to her room to say hi before hopping in the shower, and he was there."_

" _Yeah, doesn't he like live there now?"_

" _Not quite. William doesn't want him living with her until after the wedding."_

" _So he'd give him the company, but he can't sleep in the same bed as his fiancee. Makes sense."_

" _William is extremely irrational, but that's besides the point. ANYWAY,"_ Dylan emphasized, shooting him a very pointed glare.

" _Sorry, sorry!"_ He threw his hands up in mock apology, before picking up a few blankets and pillows and tossing them back on the couch.

" _You know how rude I think interrupting people is!"_ The thing about Dylan and Derrick is that since their failed relationship attempt many years ago, they became best friends through it. They were always over each other's apartments, and usually family holidays were mixed between the Harrington's and the Marvil's. He was the closest thing she had to a brother.

" _I apologized already! Can you keep it moving now?"_ Derrick asked, taking a towel to the floor and soaking up whatever sticky liquor was spilt on his cherry wood dining room table. Why did he agree to let Kemp and Josh pregame at his apartment before going to Kemp's?

Dylan huffed, climbing out of her chair and stalking to where he was. The spiteful redhead grabbed the towel out of his hand and threw it onto the floor, looking him straight in the eyes. _"He hits her, Derrick. Massie said it's never happened before, but I don't know how much I believe that."_

If he ever felt like his world had frozen, now was that time. It felt like not only had Hell frozen over because Lord knows Massie would not allow any kind of man to lay any kind of hand on her, but Heaven must also be falling because who the **fuck** hits a girl? Who the fuck hits **his** girl?

He promised himself that even though they weren't together anymore, he'd do everything he could to protect her. Derrick wasn't sure whether he should blame himself or Tristan, considering clearly he hasn't done his job in protecting her, but Tristan should know better.

" _That disgraceful piece of shit,"_ he snarled before looking around his apartment in hopes of finding an answer.

What was he supposed to do? He didn't own Massie, he didn't have a claim on her that was justified. But at the same time, it was Massie. Everyone knows it's his girl, regardless of what their circumstances are right now. How was he supposed to react? He felt woozy, like the walls of his penthouse apartment were closing in on him.

The silence that fell between Derrick and Dylan was unfamiliar territory for them both. Usually, one of them is talking, babbling, ranting, whatever you may have on that given day. But today, neither really knew what to say. Nothing she could say could make this situation better. Nothing he could tell Dyl would change what was happening.

He had such a hard time comprehending the fact that Massie would even allow it, would even stay with a man who would do this to her. A pit in his stomach formed, and it was like it ignited right away. Derrick felt flames in his stomach, in his heart, in his throat. All he wanted to do right now was pumble Tristan, make him all bruised and bloody, and get him sent far away from Massie, from Westchester, from them.

If he found out that William was the reason why Massie felt trapped, he'd sure as hell lose his mind. How could you take something that important away from your daughter? Her wedding day making her feel guilty, her lack of ownership in his company which was something Massie used to legitimately dream about owning. Hell, she even told Derrick for two hours her decorating plan for her new office when she re-does it, stating how William always had terrible taste in decor options.

" _So, where do we start?"_ She asked softly, sparing a glance at Derrick and watching his eyes light up like flames.

" _How much time do we have?"_ Derrick responded with his own question, his voice in a very deep and dark light. She hadn't heard him this angry in a long, long time, and couldn't tell if it would be good for them or good for Tristan.

Sometimes, Derrick got sloppy. Okay, he got sloppy when he was infuriated. A little mad was no problem, but the darkness the redhead saw looming over Derrick's head once she spilled the news to him was no joke, and was beginning to bring her stress levels up because she wasn't quite sure what lengths he would go to right this with. With her would be one thing, she just hoped he didn't try to follow the boy home and beat the shit out of him tonight. Without her, she should add, because she has a lot of hostility to get out and maybe taking them out on Tristan wouldn't be too bad.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Derrick's doorbell being rung. With a perplexed face, he went to his intercom and clicked on the camera. _"Oh, Plov is here."_

Dylan was surprised as well, considering Chris had been texting her all night and didn't mention he was coming to see Derrick. With a shrug, Derrick buzzed him in and Dylan went to get the door.

" _I was hoping to surprise you,"_ Chris began as he walked in carrying a two bags of Chinese takeout from O Mandarin. Dylan giggled, handing the bags to Derrick before wrapping her arms around him and hugging him tightly. The brunette rested his hands on her back and squeezed her in response, placing a kiss to the top of her head. _"So, are we going to get real dirty for this one?"_

" _Did Dyl already tell you?"_

" _She called me in the car on the way back to her place, I just wasn't sure when she'd tell you."_ Plovert explained before going to get some of Derrick's plates and glasses out of the cabinets.

Dylan nodded in agreement. " _So, this is what I think._ _The party is saturday. I think we should get everyone together and get us all on the same page, then after the party we can do whatever we have to do. I just don't want to embarrass Massie by doing it there, you know?"_ The boys nodded in agreement, before nodding to the table. _"I think we all need a drink, and to start planning this out."_

Dylan made a sound of agreement, going towards the table while Derrick went into the kitchen to grab some of his collection of liquor. He knew Dylan only drank clear liquors, so he brought out a bottle of Grey Goose and an unopened bottle of lemon lime seltzer he kept there for her, as well as two iced cold Sam Adams beers for him and Chris.

It was going to be a long night for all of them.

While Derrick was reconciling with Massie, Dylan was to round up their friends and explain the situation as lightly as possible. This was where Chris would come in, by helping smooth things over and keep everyone on track at the party. He needed to make sure no one spilled anything to Massie, no one asked her about it, nothing. Sometimes, the boys just didn't really understand how plans worked, so he hoped he could help keep them as in the dark as they could afford for now. The last thing any of them needed was everyone in Westchester finding out that he hits Massie, not yet, at least. That was stage four.

After three hours of scheming, two orders of chinese take out, and one well thought out text message, they were set.

* * *

 **To: Block(ed), M(e)**

 **D.H: Hey, can we talk? I feel like since you're getting married and everything, we probably should put aside our differences and air out our issues. I mean, I'd like to make it through the party saturday without you pouring champagne over my head. Unless it's cristal brut, that I wouldn't object to.**

 **Mass: Croton Park. Meet me at the spot.**

 **D.H: Same time?**

 **Mass: Yep.**

 **D.H: Cool, I'll see you then.**

 **Mass is typing….**


	13. chapter twelve

Okay guys, this is the chapter we've all been waiting for. also, my longest one. also x 2, i started another story and a collection of one shots on my page as well if ya'll wanna check that out, as always.. please review xoxo love u all

* * *

Derrick sat on the bench, his dark wash denim jean-clad legs crossed at the ankle. For the fifth time the past two minutes, he smoothed down the sleeves of his charcoal grey calvin klein crew neck sweater and sighed. Beside him on the stone bench, he had a hot venti, half sweet, non-fat, caramel macchiato and a blueberry scone, his own hot blonde roast vanilla latte and a toasted sesame bagel, and a thick fleece blanket.

The boy took a deep sip of his latte, and used his free hand to rub the sleep out of his eyes. He knew he looked good, he knew he was waiting for his meeting to happen for the past few years, but the unknown was what terrified him. He didn't know how she was going to act, or react. He wasn't sure if she was excited or annoyed he asked her to meet, he couldn't decipher her tone from the four or five text messages they sent back and forth. So, here he was, sitting on a freezing stone bench, waiting for Massie Block.

He was sitting in Croton Point Park, their place. It was a park that overlooked the hudson river, and had sets of some of the oldest wine cellars in the state of new york. There was a good mix between families and young adults who either came here to read books or take a jog, but at 6:12 AM, the park was desolate besides Derrick.

Why so early? Two months into their relationship, Christine and Jonathon Harrington found themselves in a blowout fight right before dawn broke. Derrick and his sister Sammi were out in the living room, arguing, covering their ears, crying, the whole nine yards. Divorce was threatened, custody of the children was yelled out, and expensive fine china plates and vases were smashed over the fireplace. A picture of the four of them fell to the ground, the glass framing the image shattering as well. Derrick got so frustrated that he stormed out, grabbing his jacket and speed-dialing Massie's number. Through his tears, he asked her to meet him. He sat at that same bench, in his plaid flannel pajamas, crying silently about how fucked up his family was, how he was never at home because there was no home to be at.

She met him, standing there in her pinstripe silk pajamas and ugg slippers with sleep in her eyes and her hair in a sloppy ponytail. Massie stood there with a blanket and a box of tissues, waving goodbye to Isaac who was parked in the lot. She had woken him up in the middle of the night to bring her, and he promised her that he'd wait until they were done with whatever and he'd bring them both home. Isaac left the heat running in the car, so by the time the two teenagers were done, they wouldn't be freezing in the leather range rover.

That early morning, they cuddled up on that bench and watched the sun rise into the sky. Massie wasn't known for being a comforting person, but for Derrick that changed that morning. She tried to protect him, comfort him, do anything in her power to help him. Massie was described as being cold hearted, ruthless, and intimidating, but not when it came to him. So, he vowed to do the same for her.

After that early morning of watching the sunrise, it became a normal thing for the two of them.

Was he nervous? No, that's why his leg wouldn't stop bouncing up and down and driving his mind into twelve different directions.

* * *

" _What if she's late?"_

" _She won't be."_

" _What if she doesn't show?"_

" _She set the time and place, she will come."_

" _What if she brings Tristan?"_

" _She isn't that stupid."_

" _What if I'm overdressed?"_

" _Derrick, you're in jeans!"_ Dylan exclaimed through a yawn, rubbing at her eyes before breaking off a piece of her muffin and smoothing down his crewneck.

" _I barely wore jeans around her!"_ The boy panicked, looking at himself in the mirror and tilting his head to the side. _"Do these jeans make me look fat?"_

" _Shut the fuck up, and get out the door already. You have twelve minutes to get there and prepare."_

" _Okay, Mom. Don't wait up!"_ The brunette yelled at his best friend, before taking his blanket and heading out the door

* * *

" _Bean, do I go with the trousers or a pair of leather leggings?"_ Massie asked her pet pug, who was lying on the floor next to her mannequin.

She studied her outfit one more time, before settling with the trousers. She began to change, when her phone buzzed, again. With a roll of her amber eyes, she grabbed it off of her bedside table and opened her iMessages.

 **To: Mass💍**

 **Thursday, 1:00 pm**

 **Tristan: I'm so sorry massie**

 **Tristan: I'm really sorry**

 **Tristan: I can't believe that even happened**

 **Tristan: I've never been like that before**

 **Tristan: I can't even imagine how you must feel right now**

 **Tristan: I'm sure you hate me**

 **Tristan: I hate me too**

 **Tristan: I feel terrible**

 **Tristan: I assume you need your space, and don't wanna talk to me, so when u do I'll be here**

 **Thursday, 7:00 pm**

 **Tristan: Hey baby can we talk?**

 **Tristan: I rly hope you don't keep ignoring me**

 **Tristan: We need to talk about this**

 **Tristan: We can't just pretend it didn't happen**

 **Tristan: Unless you want to**

 **Tristan: I'm sorry I just get frustrated you know how I get**

 **Tristan: You know I'd never hurt you**

 **Tristan: I just want to protect you**

 **Friday, 1:00 am**

 **Tristan: babe**

 **Tristan: r u up**

 **Tristan: i'm not fucking around now**

 **Tristan: i'm outside your house where r u**

 **Tristan: i don't see ur car**

 **Tristan: did u rly have inez kick me out**

 **Mass: no, she did that herself.**

 **Tristan: u r such a bitch massie**

 **Tristan: idk why we cant talk about this**

 **Tristan: im marrying u and ur gonna just ignore me?**

 **Mass: i'm marrying you, and you're just going to hit me?**

 **Tristan is typing…...**

Massie speed-dialed Alicia as she tugged her cropped tee shirt over her head, then began taking her hair out of it's ponytail and brushing it out. Her long locks were a tangled mess, probably from her tossing and turning all night after having spoken to Derrington. God, was she ready for this? Was she ready for this kind of closure? Her biggest fear was that after this, there'd be nothing else between them.

" _Hullo_?" Alicia's voice came in through Massie's speaker. I mean, Massie knew it was early, but Alicia knew this was happening today. Massie left the sleepover less than two hour ago so she had time to go home, get ready, mentally prepare, and go. She should've been awake!

" _Am I making a mistake?"_

" _I feel like that is a very loaded question, Mass."_

" _He literally didn't even answer my last text message, and here I am, going to meet with my ex boyfriend."_

" _But that isn't why you're doing this. You're doing this because you're still in love with him, Massie. You're conflicted, and now Tristan is showing his true colors so you're even more conflicted."_

" _Who did I call, Aristotle? Or maybe the Dalai Lama?"_

" _Oh shut it, Massie. I wouldn't of even answered the phone this god damn early if it wasn't you!"_

" _Okay, okay."_ Massie began to pace around her spacious bedroom, her feet leaving marks in her carpet from the pressure she's applying, but she didn't care.

" _Should I show up late?"_

" _No!"_

" _Three minutes?"_

" _Three is doable. Any more and you're just asking for it."_

The brunette sighed, pulling her hair up and into a sloppy messy bun. " _Do you think Tristan is going to kill him, or me, for this?_

" _Is it worth dying for?"_

" _He is."_

* * *

It was already five minutes past their meeting time, and a sure fire sign that she wasn't coming. Massie Block was many things, but punctional was at the very top of the list.

" _Is this seat taken?"_ A soft voice took him out of his thoughts. Staring up at the source, he straightened his body up and shook his head no, grabbing the blanket and tossing it in his lap before picking up his drink and hers.

Massie gave him a small smile, and lowered her body beside his. She was dressed in a cozy cute outfit, which threw Derrick off. He wasn't used to seeing her without heels, but he missed this side of her. She wore a long striped mara hoffman cardigan, a pair of french connection ivy trousers, a tracy reese cropped white long sleeve tee shirt that flashed her toned stomach, and a pair of dolce vita brannon black loafers. The brunette's hair was thrown into an intentionally sloppy messy bun, and she had on a faint trace of mascara. He wanted her, so badly.

She was so...different. She looked cold inside, which he knew wasn't true, but it was like any trace of happiness was gone. The fire he loved in her eyes was dim, barely a spark. Massie was thin, thinner than usual, with dark circles underneath her eyes she didn't bother trying to cover. She looked tired, weak even, and that is not a word that goes along with Massie Block.

He knew she was hurting. He also knew why, and who was hurting her, and what he was doing. But, for now, he couldn't do anything about that but be there for her in the off-chance she'd actually confide in him about it. That was slim to none, though, which he was well aware of. So, if he could provide for her some warm smiles and company, until she was ready to come clean, he would.

Derrick extended her drink to her, which she took with reservation.

That was when he noticed her sparkling 4.35 carat pear shaped engagement ring was not on her finger.

" _Is this.."_

" _Hot venti half sweet, non fat caramel macchiato."_ The two said at the same time, which caused Massie to raise an eyebrow at him, but let her face relax.

" _You remember."_

" _Why would I forget?"_

The slender girl took a small sip of her coffee, practically moaning at how good it tasted. She had been on a caffeine cleanse for the past three weeks, and this macchiato was **necessary**. Truth be told, as she melted into the arm he wrapped round her thin shoulders, she could've moaned at how good it felt to be normal again. He was her normal, however much she wanted to deny it.

Derrick took the blanket out of his lap, shaking it out before wrapping it around the two. He then handed her the scone with a ghost of a smirk on his plump pink lips, before taking a bite out of his sesame bagel.

She was finally able to relax, to be at ease. It was just Derrington after all, the man she used to giggle with all her friends about, the boy who used to tease her and kiss her and cuddle or comfort her when she was upset. The only male who could stand up to her sharp banter and react with his own sharp tongue. The brunette looked straight ahead as she leaned her body into his, nodding in front of them towards the sun rising over the open water of the hudson river.

The two did not speak, the colors rising brightly in the sky was enough to take anyone's breath away. They might have seen the same sun rise in the same setting hundreds of times, but every time felt like a new one, a special one. It was the same thing as when she was with him, it felt like the first time. It felt new and exciting and dangerous and calming, all in one.

" _You never could eat them without getting it all over yourself,"_ she said as she swallowed a piece of her scone, reaching up and brushing some sesame seeds off of his chest.

He felt his heart begin to beat uncontrollably as her delicate hand touched his body.

He had missed this, all of it.

" _Yeah,"_ he murmured in response, watching her movements as she pulled her hand back and rested it on his thigh.

" _I'm sorry I never called."_ Massie breathed out, like it had taken years of courage for her to admit that one little sentence. Her burgundy-shellacked nails tapped against his thigh repeatedly. _"To be fair, I didn't call anyone in college. Leesh and I barely spoke, Dylan and I didn't talk until junior year, Claire was MIA and I wanted it that way, and Kris and I would only communicate via Snapchat. I was just distracted in college. I know you tried to reach out and I didn't reciprocate, and I'm sorry about that. I needed a friend so badly, but never thought of calling you to help me. I wasn't sure where we stood, and I didn't want to feel pathetic for asking you when everyone told me I should've been over you by then."_

The alpha knew that wasn't what he wanted to talk about, but she didn't know how to initiatie real conversation. She also knew this was so so wrong, and that Tristan would probably kill her for doing it, but she just couldn't help it. All Massie wanted to do was cuddle up with Derrick, of all people. Sometimes your body responds to things without you even thinking about it, like muscle memory.

" _Why didn't you?"_ He asked her quietly, turning his head to look down at her, but keeping his body positioning the same. He felt warm against her as the breeze picked up, so she snuggled a bit closer into his grips.

" _I was hurt. Still, yes, I am a child and have emotional problems and cannot talk about my feelings, clearly."_

" _You really didn't get much love as a child."_

" _No, I didn't, but that isn't what we're here to talk about, is it?"_ There, she made the initiation. She made the ask. She actually wanted to talk. Derrick did not plan on hearing an apology from here, so he was a little bit blindsided at this point.

" _Uh, no, no it's not._ " He said under his breath, running a hand through his coiffed hair as his mind continued to race.

Massie prayed he didn't ask what she was thinking he was going to ask her. If he asked if she loved Tristan, she knew she had to lie.

" _Why didn't you call? Honestly, though. No bullshit, no faking it, just why? I won't be offended."_ The brunette sighed, blinking up at him with those amber eyes of hers that always made him melt. Those same eyes are what hooked him in in the first place, they spoke volumes even when her voice was quiet.

Massie bit her lip. _"Once I started college, I went rogue. Freshman year meant a lot of drinking, a lot of thinking. This thinking lead me to develop my eating disorder."_ She felt normal telling him these things, like they speak every day of every week of every month and not just totally avoided this whole sit down conversation thing since freshman year of high school.

Derrick made a grunt like noise, signaling he was listening, but he knew better to speak when she wasn't finished.

" _And, during my recovery, I met Tristan through my dad. He sort of became my rock through the rest of it, because it was the one like...solid, normal thing I had at that time."_

" _So...are you blaming the whole not contacting me thing on Tristan or on your eating disorder or…"_

" _I'm blaming myself, Harrington. Which, you know better than anyone else, I do not do."_

" _That's fair. You also never apologize and that was, like, the first thing out of your mouth, so…"_

" _Also correct. I just….I don't know, being here, being here with you, spending time with all my-our old friends..it feels like I've finally found my place to land. It makes me sentimental, it comforts me. I never knew how much I missed all of this,"_ Massie gestured first to the sun rising, then the park, then them sitting side by side, cuddled up underneath his heavy fleece blanket with his soccer team's crest printed on the front.

" _I know. It's like a flash from the past, but one I actually wanted, not one that's covered in calculus homework and overdue history papers."_

" _Why didn't you end up going to school?"_ She questioned quietly, watching intently. The two of them were just watching each other, committing every detail to memory because neither knew when they'd be doing this next, if they even did.

" _What_?" He asked, not really having been listening to the words coming out of her mouth, just watching the way her lips parted when she'd speak.

" _I said, why didn't you end up going to school? You're one of the smartest people I know_." That was the genuine truth. Derrick might not have liked school as a kid, but nobody else knows how plenty of her assignments were done with his help because some topics came easier to him than they did to Massie.

To that, he shrugged. _"If William handed you the company at graduation, would you have taken it, or put it on hold to go back to school?"_

" _I would've taken it."_

" _Exactly. So, my soccer contract was signed the day after graduation."_

" _How is that going, by the way?"_

" _It's really good. I had a bit of a messy game last season, though, that everyone was a little freaked about. I took a headshot, which for a goalie is whatever, but the angle made me blackout for a bit on the field."_ Massie was jealous at the level of calm he exuded as he explained it to her. She was also jealous of all the hot little blonde nurses who probably took care of him at the hospital, but that was another topic for another day.

" _That's terrifying!"_

" _That's soccer, Mass. You never did like that part,_ " he said with a small chuckle as his chest shook with his laughter.

" _I just feel that it's super aggressive, like, is that necessary? No."_

Derek smirked. _"Some things never change, do they, Block?"_

Massie rolled her eyes in agreement.

" _Hey, you did a really good job closing up the Kapsis deal. I read about it in Business Digest, you're definitely a Block."_ That was one thing that Derrick applauded her for, even after what Dylan told her about William's choices with the company, Massie still worked her ass off for it.

" _Thanks,_ " she sniffed before taking another gulp of her coffee that was growing closer to room temperature the longer they were outside in the chilled air of a friday morning fall day. " _The creep first was like 'no monetary payment' and I was like absolutely fucking not. Sorry, but I do not sleep to close business deals. Do I look like Kemp or something?!"_ Massie joked, even though they all knew what Kemp did for his family.

" _There's that sense of humor I was waiting for."_ He tightened his grip around her shoulders, and let his eyes fall shut for a moment. He was trying to savor what he could, and if that was wrong, kill him, then. He'd been waiting for this for years, actual years, and he didn't really plan on it going this smoothly. He didn't plan on her actually missing him too.

" _Good thing I still have it, then."_ Derrick had the right idea, so Massie followed suit. She let her lashes flutter closed, her head against his shoulder.

" _Why did you do it?"_ The brunette spoke into the dirty blonde's ear, causing chills to go up his spine, neck, and biceps. She wouldn't see them, but he felt them and knew she did too. She sat up, keeping his arm around her shoulders but removing her head from his shoulder.

This was the question that **he** was dreading. _"I dunno, Mass. It didn't work, it was stupid. We both just thought that since we got on so well, maybe it would've worked. I thought you were over it, don't you and Dylan hang out often now?"_ He asked, pulling his bottom lip between his teeth to chew on out of nerves.

" _Yes, but that doesn't mean I ever got over it. You were my first real ex, she was one of my best friends."_

" _And you were trying to fuck Landon Crane at that time, weren't you?"_

" _That was after, Derrick. Like, way after."_

The boy sighed. " _Well, Dyl and I didn't work, so doesn't that equal out?"_

He was met with a blank, dark stare that the sun rise lit up. She looked terrifying, alluring, tempting, and intimidating all in one.

" _I'm sorry for dating her. It was more of an attempt to get over you, if I'm being honest. You always need that next person just to show yourself you can date again, you know?"_

And she did know, she knew all too well considering that was what Tristan started out as to her. An escape, an attempt to seal the Derrington vault and never look back. And look where she is now.

" _Apology accepted,"_ Massie responded in an even tone, before laying her head back down on his shoulder.

" _You know half sweet isn't a thing, right?"_

" _What do you mean?"_

" _Half sweet doesn't exist, Mass. You can have half the amount of sweetener they put in, but half sweet isn't a real thing."_

" _Why not?"_

" _What are they gonna do? Put half the coffee in it? It doesn't make sense. There's no sweetener with half the calories, only the fake ones with no calories you won't ingest because you used to claim they'd make your hair brittle and teeth fall out."_

" _...Derrick, you've been getting me my lattes like that since eighth grade."_

" _Yes, because I never wanted to correct you."_

" _DERRICK!"_ She yelled, swatting at his chest from her position perched against his shoulder.

The boy just gave her a cheeky grin in response. _"So, are we matching for this party?"_

" _You wanna be my date?"_ The female alpha asked in amusement, her eyes glittering and lighting back up in the way he always missed. There was so much mischief in them, and he was addicted to it.

" _That depends, do I have to wear white?"_

" _Yes."_

" _Ehh, most of my whites have grass stains which I feel like you wouldn't approve of."_

" _Absolutely not, you're one hundred percent correct."_

Derrick let out an over-dramatic sigh. _"Look like I'll have to go solo on this one, then."_

She missed their banter. She missed their snark. No other pairing of people were as witty as the two of them combined, which is why all of their high school feared when they were together and cheered when they were apart. Well, besides the fact that all the boys wanted Massie on their arms and all the girls would die to kiss Derrick.

Things weren't as easy with Tristan. Most of the time, he was quiet, or gave her two words here and there. It was like pulling teeth trying to conversate, and when he did want to talk, it was about business or the company. He wasn't ever like this before, but the past few months have been a struggle on their relationship.

Massie wondered if it was her, if the thought of marriage was freaking him out. Then again, maybe he was only in it for the thought of marriage? It was hard to tell, and not something she could just ask.

She didn't understand where she went wrong. Yesterday was a world wind around her, and when she thought about how things played out, it made her stomach twist. What was she going to do, anyway? She refused to be in a loveless, abusive marriage, and if this was how he was now, who knows what'll happen later. This is the third time it's happened, which she lied to Dylan about and said it was the first, because this was Massie and she needed to control everything that happened and everything people thought about her.

William would be devastated to hear his pride and joy who he carefully sculpted into his image was acting like this. Kendra wouldn't let her leave her room for a month. Massie would be a wreck if this got out, and if she suddenly cancelled the wedding, it would be even worse. For all image purposes, right now, she had to go on pretending like everything was fine. That doesn't mean she would speak to him until the party began, however.

He didn't deserve it. With the rate those text messages were going, it sounded like he was more and more ready to have a second go at her because she didn't answer him.

" _I need a dress, still. I was going to go to the galleria with Dylan around noon, because she still needs one. You can come, if you'd like, so we can make sure you have a Massie-approved outfit for the ball."_

" _Wait, is this a party or a ball?"_

" _In the Block's language, is there a difference?"_


	14. chapter thirteen

At around eight, Massie and Derrick parted ways with promises to meet later with their favorite redhead to begin shopping for the event this weekend.

* * *

Massie pulled her Audi into her driveway, sighing when she saw Tristan's Mercedes in front of her house. No doubt he was inside right now, hamming up to William, as he usually did when they had arguments. This, though, was different. This wasn't an argument, this was borderline war.

Padding up the entryway stairs in her black loafers and pushing open the heavy cherry wood doors, the brunette raised an eyebrow suspiciously when she didn't hear anything happening inside the house. Both sets of keys to William's collector-edition cars were hanging up, so they definitely were in the house somewhere.

Taking a guess, Massie began pacing towards the study. Hearing no words, that made her even more nervous. What if he was discussing the prenup, or lack of? What if William had him signing the papers for the company right now? Fuck, she needed to find her dad.

She popped her head into his study doorway, seeing no one sitting there. Where the fuck did they go?! Now, panic began to set in. Sighing, she turned around and headed towards their sprawling backyard where they sometimes read the newspapers in silence on the patio. Oh, what a weird relationship her dad and her fiance have.

Massie, as she got closer, saw two bodies sitting out on the patio through the clear and white glass french doors. The alpha yanked them open, letting them hit against the door frame with a bang, which made Tristan jump and William simply raise his right hand before going back to gripping his paper.

" _Massie, doll, you left so early this morning. Inez was going to make breakfast for us two and set it up out here."_

" _Yeah, Mass, where did you go?_ " Tristan asked pointedly, like he knew she was doing something he thought less than highly of.

Massie, thinking better of it, decided to not answer Tristan at all. In fact, she wasn't going to acknowledge his presence, even. She simply plucked a newspaper off of the glass table, apologized to her father with a shrug and a "Sorry, daddy," then took her seat on the other side of her father.

William raised an eyebrow over his glasses, but went back to his reading. Kids and their drama and fights and problems, he knew, were better to figure things out on their own. If she needed help, she would've asked him.

The three sat in the overwhelming silence for two hours before William finished his paper, folding it up and leaving it on the table in front of him.

" _I'm going to go make a cappuccino, I'll see you love birds inside."_

With that, her father disappeared into the enormous house, leaving the engaged couple to their own devices. Her father and his solstice disappeared, and now Massie felt exposed.

" _So are we going to talk, or just ignore each other until the wedding day?"_

" _I prefer the latter. That is, if I don't run away and get you arrested."_

" _Oh, Mass, you wouldn't do that. You love me so, almost as much as Block Enterprise, so we both know that wouldn't happen."_

" _Tristan, I think you forget the hold I possess over my father. One word, and you're so done, done, and done."_

" _But Massie, him and I are also close. I'm his apprentice, I'm almost his son. I wonder who he'd believe. The boy who he trained and raised in his own image, or the girl without attentive parents who would most likely just lie because she's getting cold feet."_

" _Bite your god damn tongue!"_ Massie snapped, throwing her paper at him. _"And I am his daughter, I am his blood, you arrogant ass!"_

He simply laughed, and watched it fall on the ground at his feet. _"Much like you should be doing, sweetheart. Remember, it's a man's world, and there's only one place for a woman here. That's on his arm."_

Infuriated, Massie stood and stormed inside. Tristan waited a few beats before too going back inside, ignoring the curious glances William was giving him as he watched his only child storm up the stairs and into her bedroom, closing the door with a loud slam.

* * *

Dylan was impatiently waiting on Derrick's couch when he returned to his apartment.

" _Finally_!" She squealed, dropping her book of 10 to zen and jumping to her feet.

" _What happened!?"_

" _Well, I'm apparently going shopping with you two at noon to find outfits for this party."_

" _Okay, that's a start, but not what I meant. What did you two talk about? Did you two confess your love so now we don't have to go through with any of our seven plans?"_

" _No, not quite. She's warming back up to me, though, which I consider a win."_ The dirty blonde explained as he made his way into his kitchen, starting his nespresso machine and placing a white ceramic mug underneath the spout.

" _Dyl, you have no idea how hard it was to not say something about him when I was talking to her. It's going to come out."_

Dylan followed Derrick into the kitchen, leaning her back against his granite-topped island. She was hopeful he wouldn't turn into his typical, brash self.

" _And that's fine, but please, for the love of God, be sane and calm about this. You need to make sure you do it the right way, not out of spite, not out of control. We can't spiral!"_

" _How can I not?"_

The redhead sighed. _"It's going to be hard, Derrick. Really fucking hard, actually, because we both know what she's going through. How do you think I feel? I'm one of her best friends, just letting her go through with this when I know way better! But we need to be careful."_

The dirty blonde boy nodded his head sully, taking his mug out of the nespresso and taking a long sip of his burning hot latte. It stung the tip of his tongue, but that was nothing compared to the sting in his heart.

In his head, he tried to process it all. He wanted to smash Tristan's face into the hardwood flooring, he wanted to shower Massie with love and affection, he wanted to scream at William until his face was beet red.

Derrick wanted answers. He wanted to know what was so fucking valuable to William about Tristan, because he couldn't see anything worth wanting.

" _So, I need an outfit too."_

* * *

Massie tried dialing Alicia five times to no avail. Frustrated, she threw her phone down onto her plush carpet as her body slid down the frame of her queen sized bed. She felt like she was trapped in her own home! Standing to her feet, Massie padded to her bay windows, pulling one of the curtains aside and watching Tristan's Mercedes Benz sit shining in her driveway. The view made her stomach churn.

He was so entitled, he was so arrogant! What she ever saw in him, she wasn't sure. All she knew was that she sufficiently fucked herself over in this situation, knowing how in love with him her father is. Tristan was right, William would always take his side over hers. If her mom was here, would she be helping her daughter? Honestly, probably not. She'd most likely be trying to sleep with Tristan, now that Massie thought about it.

Her anger fueling her on the inside, the alpha picked her phone back up and dialed Dylan. She, at least, would answer. Waiting for her to answer the phone, Massie impatiently tapped her fingernails against one of her bedposts. Examining her bed, her nose scrunched up realizing Tristan had slept in those very sheets, and made a mental note to have the help replace them.

" _Hello?" Dylan's voice rang through the phone._

" _Dyl, please tell me you're available to come pick me up from this prison."_

" _What happened?" The redhead's voice echoed, telling Massie she was on speaker. She was probably doing yoga, Massie thought to herself, not knowing that Dylan was really with Derrick._

" _He's a fucking monster! He literally told me to bite his tongue! He said I belong on his fucking arm, Dylan!"_

" _No!"_

" _Yes! And he's still here! He won't leave, so I have to, so pretty please tell me you're getting in your car right now to come rescue me."_

" _Be ready, I'll be there in ten."_

With that, the line clicked.

* * *

Dylan hung up the phone call, hesitantly looking at Derrick to see how he was reacting.

" _Der, calm down."_

" _Absolutely fucking not!"_

" _I know! I know! But, if she knows we're hanging out right now, she'll know we're planning something! We can't spoil it yet! You stay here, I'll get her, and we'll go from there."_

" _Why can't I come? I just wanna speak to him!"_

" _Yeah, with your foot up his ass." Dylan retorted, grabbing her purse and coat off of his table and walking out of his apartment._

* * *

Dylan's cherry red alfa romeo giulia's headlights flashed the Block's mansion as she pulled into the driveway. Stepping out of her sports car, Dylan tucked her white calvin klein knit long sleeve into her emilio cavallini black leggings, grabbing her red veda leather jacket and slamming her car door out of anger.

The redhead stomped her fyre white studded slip on sneakers up the driveway and front entrance steps of the mansion, pulling the front door open, not bothering to knock. She was not in the mood, let me tell you.

" _Dylan, how are you? I haven't seen you in ages!" William greeted her, standing up from his chair and coming to give her a quick hug._

" _Could be better," the redhead sniffed, her eyes landing on Tristan's as he shrunk back into his corner chair._

" _Oh, really? What's the matter?" Massie's father asked, looking at Dylan pointedly. The two got along the best out of all of Massie's friends._

" _Well, if you really want to know," Dylan started, reaching up to re-position the top knot on her head before Massie interrupted her._

" _Dyl! Perfect! Let's go." The alpha stated in her no nonsense tone, giving her a pointed look before pointing her chin to the door._

" _Another time, William." The yoga instructor promised her alpha's father, leaving a kiss on his cheek before turning and heading to the front door. Her alpha followed her, after giving William a kiss on his other cheek, and completely not acknowledging Tristan._

" _So that was fun," Dylan said with a smirk, shaking her head as the pair reached her car._

" _Just drive, Marvil."_


	15. chapter fourteen

" _You know, you need to tell someone at some point. Namely your fiance, but honestly, anyone else works. I need someone to talk about this with!"_ Dylan screeched, her wheels doing the same as she made a sharp turn and drove up the Monarch at Ridge Hill Apartment Complex's main entrance. She rolled her window down, handing the security guard Derrick's guest pass before the gates raised and her alfa romeo sped through.

Massie knew he lived here. It was his dream, after all. Or their dream, if she was being honest.

They spent nights dreaming of their lives in the future, her sitting at her daddy's office and him running up and down the green grass fields. She had people begging for her signature on contracts, he had people screaming his name on the stadium stands.

They had their own careers, separate and apart from each other. But, at night, they'd come home to the same place, the same penthouse apartment suite at Monarch Hill.

The one that overlooked the Hudson river, sparkling and gleaming and rushing in all its dark blue glory.

The penthouse had the most breathtaking view, the walkways lit by gas-light looking light posts that led the way to a private entrance on the river.

The suite was covered in shiny hardwood flooring, marble tiles and countertops, and up to date appliances.

Fit for the king and queen they started as, not the joker and the fool their relationship and immaturity crafted them into.

She'd always be home earlier than him, since he had his practices and games and press conferences after each one. Massie would most likely postmates their dinner, or if she got home from the office before six (a miracle, really) she planned on cooking a nice homemade dinner for the two of them.

He'd cook on weekends and his off season, and on saturday nights they would go out to one of the posh restaurants in Manhattan.

Oh, the dreams.

Massie quickly shook her head, ridding herself of all those late night conversations.

" _Who should I tell? The mayor? Maybe my parents who are unbelievably smitten with him?"_ Massie snarked, immediately regretting her tone. _"Sorry, it's just been really stressful. I shouldn't need saving in my own home, or my own relationship!"_

Dylan took a deep, cleansing breath. " _I know, and I know it's beyond frustrating. But, we can't keep this a secret forever. People will start speculating, people will start asking questions. You can't marry someone who's idea of resolving things is hitting you, then taking a beer to bed."_

" _I realize that, but what am I supposed to do in the meantime? How am I supposed to tell my parents? Just walk up to them and show them the scars?"_

" _There are scars?!"_ The redhead yelled, slamming on her brakes as she crookedly parked in a spot and turned to her friend. _"You didn't tell me that! You said this was new!"_

" _I'm still coming to terms with it. I'm sorry I didn't tell you the truth, Dyl, but you have to understand how traumatizing this is."_ The brunette began to pick at the strap on her Michael Kors Red Leather Greenwich Bag, signaling to Dylan that maybe this topic needed to be dropped for right now.

With a nod, the redhead turned her head to look out her windshield. _"Well, you know where we are. I was thinking...I dunno, maybe you guys could give each other some fresh air or something. You guys were friends, I think you guys are at least, so…"_

" _We are, and we can. I just...you're right, I need to talk to someone about this before things get worse or you'll end up opening my bedroom door to a dead body soon."_

" _Do you think that Derrick would be one of those people to tell?"_

" _Do you?"_

" _Mass, if you're going to tell anyone, I think he would be the most helpful."_

The brunette took a deep breath, not really liking the way his name made her insides turn. Was it out of hatred? No, she met the boy earlier that morning. If she hated him, she wouldn't of gone. So, what was the reason?

She was jolted out of her thoughts by Dylan opening the car doors, reaching in the back of her car seats and grabbing her white saint laurent calfskin shoulder bag. She nodded her head forward, gesturing towards the apartment entrance. With a sigh, Massie Block climbed out of the small car and shut the door with more force than necessary.

" _Ugh, my poor car has dealt with so much slamming today!_ " Dylan pouted, running her manicured hand across the shiny red door before parting ways and pushing Massie toward the tall clear sliding doors of the main lobby.

 _ **BREAKBREABREAKBREAKBREAK**_

" **You know I respect her on that level (on that level)**

 **She don't want me then I'ma let her (let her)**

 **Go over there with that broke fella"**

Derrick couldn't understand what was happening. He felt like his head was spinning, and maybe it was. He was absolutely outraged by what was happening with Massie, and that someone could still look her and her family in the eye after doing this. Fuck that, the fact that he could even raise a hand to her made Derrick's stomach turn to flames.

He and Massie fought countless times over the course of their relationship, and even when they weren't in a relationship, yet he never even came close to becoming aggressive to her because that's not even what children do. He will admit he might've been very immature when it came to their relationship, but he was also raised to know better.

Shaking his head and letting his left hand run through his hair, he began typing with his right hand on his iphone screen, calling up Kemp. Gagging at the thought, but he knew it was necessary.

" _Hurley!" Rang through the phone's speakers, and directly into Derrick's ears._

" _Yes, moron. I know who I called."_

" _Oh gee, don't sound too thrilled. We both know you are."_

" _Shut up, Kemp. I need a favor."_

" _Why does everyone only call me because of favors?!"_

" _Maybe because you're an ass, still?"_

" _Possibly, I'll contemplate on that later when I'm baked. Anyway, what do you need, Der?"_

" _I need to see you, and I need your help with a plan Dylan and I made."_

" _What time?"_

" _Eight tonight, meet at my place."_

" _What's the attire for the evening?"_

" _It's not a threesome, Kemp. I don't give a fuck what you wear."_

" _Oh, okay. I must've misunderstood…..I'll be there."_

 _"Why the fuck would I be having sex with Marvil?"_

 _"I dunno, man. Redheads are pretty hot."_

 _"Bye."_

 _"Did you want me to bring the coke this time? Or, is this not one of those times either?"_

 _"Dude!"_

Somehow, the kid was still one of Derrick's main best friends. It isn't every day that you find someone as loyal as Kemp, someone who doesn't ask questions because they trust you enough.

Even though all the boys have their own issues and lives and careers, they always made time for each other. Whether it was at some of the local irish pubs after long days of work, meeting during their lunch breaks to blow off some steam at their park's astro turf soccer field, or even catching some coffee on the morning commute, they were always together to some extent.

But, Derrick knew that they all had their dark sides. They've all crossed each other in the past. Josh had moved in on Claire back when her and Cam were relevant to the group, which put a divide on them back in their middle school days. Plovert had kissed both Dylan and Massie at Connor Nolan's college graduation party, which had Derrick's head literally flying off his shoulders. Kristen had made out with Kemp in front of Plovert on many drunk nights they spent at Area 51 as a group freshman year of college, a bar themed after the notorious sacred/protected ground of the U.S. Military. Even Derrick would admit that the girls did look really hot in their little cadet outfits they wore there, Massie being the hottest, of course.

It was funny, though, how friends always figure out their differences. How they're always there for each other. Derrick hoped, prayed, and was prepared to beg for the rest of the guys to help Massie in this fucked up time of need. But, with all the bridges she burned, who knew who would? Some of the boys took the brunt of her temper, Derrick included.

Cam and her had it out after Alicia's wedding, when the two began to date again. Cam had been a close friend of Massie's after high school, remaining close during college and talking almost every week. When the two got back together, it was like a stab in the back to Massie.

 _ **BREAKBREABREAKBREAKBREAK**_

 _Derrick raised an eyebrow at the sudden commotion going on in front of him. The groomsmen were seated around the bridesmaids, which really felt like another day at lunch at Octavian Country Day. Both the Pretty Committee and the Tomahawk Soccer Boys were gathered together at the round dining table, directly next to the newly-married couples._

 _The room was covered in soft, white flowy drapes and bright touches of warm oranges, reds, and yellows brought life into the reception hall. The tables were topped with thick white table cloths, a line of green leaves running down the middle with rose gold glassware and silverware._

 _The Hotz' were standing up at their center table, eyes glued to the stage in horrification as Claire let loose into the microphone, beraging and insulting the two left and right as Dylan attempted to wrestle the microphone away from her._

 _Derrick's eyes, though, were locked on Massie and Cam's flailing arms as she continued to push and shove him to go up there and control his girlfriend._

" _She's sick of them, Mass! You can't blame her!"_

" _At their wedding?! You're condoning this?!"_

" _She planned this!"_

" _Did you know about it?"_

" _I feel like I can't give you an answer."_

" _Then I feel like I can't give you a friendship, you fake as fuck liar! You are nothing more than the backstabbing loser you were in middle school! Sitting here, letting this happen! Ruining their one day of happiness! You make me sick, Cameron. You're cancelled."_

 _The amber eyed female in front of Derrick flipped her loose fishtail braid over her right shoulder, shaking her head as her fists shook as well out of anger. Her eyes were holding a special kind of fire that he hadn't seen in years. If he was on the receiving end, he'd be sunk. Kemp and Plovert ran to the stage to help Dylan cart Claire off, handing her off to the security team Josh had hired who then removed her from the building._

" _Oh, so now you're just going to try and bully me like you did to everyone else in school?"_

" _Oh, go to hell, Cam. Your through-and-through thick headed, rude as ever girlfriend will be there waiting for you by the time I'm done with her."_

" _That's your problem, Mass. You blame everyone else! Maybe Alicia and Josh deserved it!"_

" _You_ _ **must**_ _be on drugs again, Fish. I can't even believe what I'm hearing come out of your mouth!"_

 _Alicia ran out of the room before the couple could even have their first toast._

 _ **BREAKBREABREAKBREAKBREAK**_

Derrick was in the middle of stirring the agave into his third cup of coffee of the day when his front door slammed open. When he heard two pairs of footsteps, he poked his head through his kitchen doorway. His coffee splashed onto the hardwood, seeing Massie Fucking Block standing in the middle of his living room. Well, this wasn't a sight he ever dreamed of setting his eyes on. Unless you consider his late night thoughts, which was usually accompanied with a box of tissues and an ice cold beer.

 _"Are you going to clean that up? The acidity is going to burn through the wax."_ Massie sputtered out, feeling the same amount of unsteadiness as he did. It was weird, it felt like one part normal mixed with three parts of _what the fuck are we doing?_

 _"Uh, yeah. Yeah, I am. Good idea."_ Derrick muttered, taking his eyes off of Massie and grabbing a dish towel from one of the cabinets inside his kitchen. He made his way back towards the spill in the doorway, bending down to wipe it up and collect his thoughts. The brunette watched as his back and arm muscles contracted.

Clearing her throat, Dylan began to attempt at civil conversation. _"I, for one, think that hot coffee is for masochists. But, alas, Derrick refuses to admit he enjoys painful situations."_

Silence met the three. This morning was a different story. This morning, they talked and they joked and reminisced. They had both dreamed of that moment, but not of this one, not of what follows after. That wasn't included in the blue print either of them had dreamed up over the past four years.

Derrick tossed the used rag into the sink, knowing that later he'll throw it in to be washed. For some reason, though, he felt rooted in his place. He felt like a specimen, like he was being examined under a microscope with the intent Massie was staring at him like. He stood up straight, his back rigid, his shoulders rolled forward.

Slowly, she began to make her way towards where he was standing.

Did she know he was shaking? Probably not, considering she was too.

Her plump lips were pulled into a straight line, and her usually fiery amber eyes were a mere flicker. Massie's face was blank and expressionless, allowing him to read nothing into what she was doing or how she was feeling.

Derrick gulped, preparing himself for a slap across the cheek, in typical Massie style. How many times had she done that? He honestly lost track.

 _Derrick and Massie were behind the bleachers of Briarwood Octavian Country Day, doing a mix of fighting and making out, as per usual._

" _I just don't see the significance. Who cares what Skye Hamilton says? Everyone knows she's cancelled." Derrick Harrington murmured, as he began pressing kisses down the soft skin of Massie's neck, mentally cringing at the fact that he actually said cancelled._

" _I do! I could lose my spot as alpha if I don't watch her! You know she's out to destroy me," Massie purred, leaning up and tugging on a few curls of his._

" _Like I am?"_

 _Slap._

" _I didn't mean it like that, Block! The fuck?"_

" _I'm so sorry!" She jumped, pressing her hand against his cheek and kissing the red spots. "I just couldn't help it!"_

" _You are such an asshole!" A seventeen year old Massie Block yelled in Derrick Harrington's face at the Briarwood Octavian Country Day Championship game. She had come down here, sat through the miserably boring game for him, and what did he do? Ignore her afterwards!_

" _Mass, come on. I was distracted!"_

" _Yeah, but not distracted enough to not notice any of the girls around you! Just me, the girl you said you'd always love!"_

" _I just didn't see you!"_

" _I SAW YOU KISS HER, DERRICK."_

 _Silence._

" _I'm not stupid!" Massie shouted in his face, as tears began to fall down her bronzed cheeks and disrupt her thick winged liner. "There's been rumors going around for weeks! I just thought you were better than that!"_

 _Slap._

" _Put me down!"_

" _No."_

" _Put me down!"_

" _No."_

" _I can do this all day, Derrick!"_

" _So can I, no."_

" _I can't believe you're doing this!" Block yelled through hiccups, hitting his strong back as the man carried her through Kemp's foyer._

" _I can't believe you were going to let yourself get taken advantage of by Dempsey Fucking Soloman! High school has been over for a while, sweetheart! We're twenty two!"_

 _Slap._

Her flats clicked against the hardwood flooring as she stood in front of him, her smaller frame merely a shadow standing in his tall, daunting self. Derrick took a deep breath, then looked down at her and watched as she raised one of her french manicured hands and rested it on his cheek. It was soft and supple, and it brought back a flooding of memories he had tried so fucking hard these past few years to suppress. His cheek already stung, what with the blush crawling up his neck and settling where her hand was. It must've warmed her hand, because Massie gave him a weak smile before breaking down in his living room.

 _ **BREAKBREABREAKBREAKBREAK**_

Massie laid curled up on his leather living room couch, a New York City FC hoodie about two sizes too big swallowing her frame, a fuzzy grey sherpa blanket draped over her legs, and a steaming hot mug in her hands. Oh, and an irate Derrick Harrington holding her steady in his lap as she spilled it all to him and Dylan, who sat opposite them on the matching loveseat.

Her face was bright red, showing the trail of angry tears that slid down her cheeks as she spoke.

" _I am so sorry I never told you the truth, Dylan. I just...I was so fucking_

 _scared! I didn't know what he would do, I just live with this fucking hold over me like a vice grip! It's sick and it's twisted and I wish I told you sooner,"_ Massie sniffled, leaning her head into Derrick's shoulder.

" _Massie, you don't have to apologize. I get it, and I'm not mad. I just...how long has this been happening for?"_ The redhead asked, a pit in her stomach forming making her rethink wanting to know the answer.

" _The past year. When his father died last December, it crushed him and he spiraled and I guess….I guess he took it out on me, and it helped the first time, so he kept doing it. I'm so fucking scared,"_ she whispered, making Derrick tighten his grip on her.

Dylan could tell that Derrick was still attempting to process things in his head. Neither of them were ready to hear the full extent of abuse their loved one went through, but they also needed to know. _"Mass, you said there's scars. Where?_ " She tried her best to keep her voice low and calm.

" _You don't have to show us."_ Derrick quickly added, taking his left hand and rubbing small circles into the middle of her back. " _If you don't want to revisit that, we get it._ "

The brunette merely shrugged, blinking her dull eyes up at Derrick. For once, he saw pain inside of those golden eyes, and the pit in his stomach ignited into flames. _"Where is he?"_ He practically spat, though his hands continued to rub her back in soothing circles.

" _Derrick, no. No one can know you guys know, no one can know it even happens!"_ Massie squealed, her body visibly tensing at the thought.

" _So...are you just planning on marrying him, then?_ " Derrick asked the question Dylan had avoided asking for so long. Her green eyes widened, watching the dynamic between the two alphas in the room, sharing a couch, cuddling while her engagement ring glitters on Massie's hand.

Everyone always knew her and Derrick would find their way back.

Massie's eyes darted from the boy next to her to the girl in front of her, willing for an answer. When they both remained quiet, the brunette gave a dull shrug. _"We haven't gotten that far, yet. I don't really know what I'm supposed to do."_

" _Well, you have to keep appearances up for the party, at least."_ Dylan reminded her. _"All of Westchester will be there, so if we really want to embarrass him and fuck him up, it won't be there. They need to like him, first. We need to show people how long this has been going on for, and who he really is, just in a different setting."_

 _"For the party, you need to act like nothing's wrong."_ Derrick murmured, pressing a small kiss to the top of her head. His lips immediately felt like they caught fire, and chills were sent down Massie's spine. She let a sound of agreement ring through her throat, leaning back into his chest and turning her head to face Dylan.

 _"Someone better keep the knives away from me, then."_ She advised Dylan, who couldn't bite back her loud chuckle.

 _"So, are we feeling cyanide?_ " The redhead gave a wicked grin before pulling her phone out. _"I bet Kemp has some I can steal."_

 _"What would he need that for?"_

 _"It's better you don't ask, Mass."_

The chestnut haired girl nodded, lifting her hands and rubbing them over her face after she set down her now empty mug on the cherry wood coffee table. She had cried her makeup off earlier in their conversation, so now she was just relishing in the fact that she could afford to touch her face without messing it up. Thanking the Vogue God's above that she always kept her makeup basics in her purse, she cleared her throat. _"So….can we go shopping now?"_


	16. chapter fifteen

After spending an hour re-doing her makeup, getting changed into a suitable outfit for their shopping trip (thanks to Dylan for stashing a purple donna mizani mini wrap dress and a pair of black vince camuto platform heels), the trio were off to spend the day styling and preparing for the dreaded party at the end of the week.

Peering out from under her sunglasses, Massie's eyes scanned Derrick as he whipped them around in his all black BMW x6. He had definitely grown into himself even more, and with his soccer career, he kept in incredible shape. His hair was sitting in short curls at the top of his head, and you could tell he still wasn't used to it the way he'd go to run his hand through them.

The alpha let her fingers run down the leather interior of his car, humming to herself as Dylan was on a phone call with one of her "zentees", or desperate housewives she mentors that 'need help finding themselves'. The brunette let out a cackle as Dylan conversated with Daphne on speaker, a forty year old stay at home mother who 'lost all ambition to be anything but her husband's wife', which led to Dylan promptly slapping her on the shoulder, and Derrick shooting her a grin in the rearview mirror.

" _Honey, listen to me. You need to breathe it out, remember? In for four, out for three."_

" _Sometimes that doesn't work, Dylan! My percocet prescription is running dry!"_

" _You shouldn't be using percocets! You signed an agreement with me that you wouldn't be using any drugs during our period of sessions!"_

" _Oh, I wouldn't call them drugs, they're more of….more of my happy pills? My stabilizers? I hate my children, Dylan."_

" _I cannot believe I'm having this conversation right now!"_

" _Do you ever regret having children?"_

" _I've never had children, Daphne. I'm twenty four."_

" _Oh, right."_

* * *

" _Personally, I think the navy suits you better. Ha, get it? Suits? Like a suit?"_

" _Gawd, Dylan, your sense of humor seriously dwindles by the hour."_

" _I'm thinking a white shirt under it?"_ Derrick suggested, tilting his head to the side a she stared at his reflection in the mirror.

A form fitting, navy ralph lauren tweed blazer hugged his shoulders and skimmed his back. The gold detailing on the sleeves and buttons on the front of the blazer accented his tanned skin, and the matching pants fit his butt in all the right places. He lifted a hand, straightening out the burberry tan printed tie Massie picked out for him to wear with it. Even he would admit, he looked damn good.

Is this what you wear when you're planning on stealing your ex girlfriend away from her abusive fiance? Asking for a friend, of course.

Dylan and Derrick decided they would go together as dates, to keep the peace and not give away any suspicions. Everyone in Westchester knew how close of friends the two were, but also knew that a relationship between the two would never blossom.

Or, Massie reminded and reassured herself of this every half hour or so.

That was the problem with Derrick, though. Massie was not an insecure girl, by any means of the imagination. Hell, people said she was **too** sure of herself most of the time.

But with Derrick, she could be the most self-conscious version of herself because there was always something up in the air between the two of them.

Majority of that, though, came from their rocky past relationship experiences. Fighting, then dating, then oh shit, we're broken up. Then the getting back together and trying to make things work, the pressure from the outside world swallowing up their relationship.

Things were always rocky with them.

Not always, and not always in a bad way. Sometimes,it made things interesting. The real problem between the two of them was that each felt they needed to hold the upper hand in it. They were always competing, whether it be the better social life, the better friend group, the better social standing. Not one day went by in grade school where they weren't competing, or trying to get details and intel on what the other was up to.

Sometimes, it helped the relationship. It brought out more passion when they got along, it brought out more drive between the two to make things work and to suppress all of their peers ugly thoughts. It helped them defeat enemies faster, not only defend their friends in a stronger manner because they worked in unison but also defend each other.

Their relationship was fire and ice. When one was burning, the other was frozen. Or, one would extinguish the other, put them out or put them down. Then, the cycle would change roles. Massie, for whatever reason, was always more hesitant than Derrick was. She always hid more, she was always a cold stone wall compared to him.

Massie was hard to get and hard to keep. She knew the game through and through, and knew the best ways to play it, to twist your thoughts and your insides until they were wrapped around her thin, cartier covered pinky.

Derrick was always afraid he was going to lose her. Maybe because he had lost her, numerous times. He lost her to other boys, intending to make him jealous. He lost her trust, when he kissed Nina. He lost her innocence, when she refused to have her first time with him and she gave it up to the next boy who came knocking.

Derrick lost her through his own dumb actions, his own childish games and mannerisms. His shaking his butt after saving a goal, his shorts in winter with the purple knees. Sure, he was a kid, and so was she, but she was mature. She was an adult in a twelve year old's body, with a mind of her own, a course in her mind of how she wanted her life to go, and he kept interfering with that.

He decided, looking in the mirror, that the suit was perfect, and now suddenly felt a little too tight and he really needed to change.

And he really needed Massie.

* * *

Tens of ballroom gowns littered the dressing room floor of Saks Fifth Avenue, and Massie and Dylan didn't know what to do about it.

Massie was less than excited about any of the options.

She hated white, first of all, so this was all a stretch to begin with.

They were either too fluffy, too wide, too shiny, or too short.

Dylan, exasperated with going back and forth, had their shopping assistant for the day, Derrick, pull some more options as Massie sunk to the ground.

" _I just don't know why this is so fucking hard!"_ She yelled, throwing her fists into the long silk number and balling her hands in the cool fabric. Massie never felt so much...despair before, besides when Chris Abeley embarrassed and broke her heart at Skye Hamilton's party way back when.

" _Mass, it's because your heart isn't in it."_

" _Can you blame me?"_

" _Of course not! But, that's why. You're miserable thinking about it, you'll be miserable at the party, it all makes sense and you're totally justified."_

" _I have to sit there, pretend everything is fine, pretend my life isn't legitimately falling apart from this wedding, it's just really stressful. God, most other brides have it easy. I'd rather panic about the bill than the groom."_

" _I know, babe. And we're going to fix it all, but for appearances sake right now, you need to play that role and play it all off."_

" _Do you know how hard it is to play it all off?"_

" _Yes, almost as hard as it was for me to not tell your dad when I picked you up earlier."_

" _I literally can't even look at him without wanting to rip off his penis, Dyl."_

" _I know, Mass, I know. We can do that after, but for now, we need to pretend you're so fucking excited and elated to get married to the sleazeball, and Derrick and I need to act like we're so so happy for you."_

" _And he's happy, as usual. That's all that matters, that he gets what he wants."_

" _Well, what do you want?"_

" _To not be so fucking miserable."_

" _What can we do to help?"_ Derrick asked, popping his head inside the fitting room as he laid some more long, white dress options on the wall.

"You know what you can do?" Massie asked, standing up and collecting herself. Her eyes burned a bright amber flame as she told him, _"bring me black."_

* * *

Massie turned, patting a loving hand over the garment bag Derrick was carrying with the girls as they went to grab some lunch at one of the bistro cafes Westchester Mall had to offer. She dreamed of diving into a big glass of smoke stack chardonnay, and her jovani plunging number.

They still had to shop for Dylan, but Dylan offered to do that after they ate as her blood sugar was getting lower by each irrational choice Massie made.

" _So, you'll be the beautiful bride in black?"_

" _Is that like the bride from hell?"_

" _I feel like we could make a really good album out of this, let me call Fish."_

" _Maybe you'll start the new trend!"_

" _The look on Kendra's face will be priceless!"_

" _What about Tristan?"_

Massie's hurt never ached so badly from all the questions before, but Derrick and Dylan together leads to an overwhelming sense of conversation like no other.

" _Can we talk about something else for a few? Migraine is coming."_ Massie muttered as they walked through the air conditioned doorway of the bistro.

Dylan requested a table for three, and led the group to one in the back. Once their hostess handed them menus and left them to plan their meals and drinks, the chestnut haired alpha let out a loud sigh that Dylan nor Derrick could ignore.

" _I just...I guess I'm just nervous to see how this will all go, is all. But thinking is giving me a headache, talking about it is making my corneas flare up, and I don't have the stomach to keep planning about how everyone will handle it, namely my family."_

" _Mass, I know, but you know we wouldn't do this if we didn't have to."_

" _I know, Derrick, I do. I just..I wish I didn't get into this situation to start with, but I guess wishing for things doesn't really change the circumstances. Or pay the bills."_

" _How is the rest of the wedding planning being done, anyway?"_

" _My mom, she's doing it all now. I told her I was 'too stressed to handle it, do what you wish'. Either way, it's her credit card, her signature they need, so who really cares."_

" _I think we'll take a bottle of the chardonnay, and a bottle of the malbec. With a bread basket."_ Dylan ordered as their waitress came up to the table carrying three waters.

" _Can we get a glass of ice as well?"_

" _Oh, and can we also split a caprese appetizer to start?"_

" _I promise we really aren't that high maintenance."_

* * *

After demolishing one salad, two different paninis, and two bottles of wine, they were prepared to spend the next two hours dress hunting for Dylan.

" _So, what color?"_

" _What about a pastel?"_

 _"But I only like black!"_

 _"We can make it work."_

Dylan split up Massie and Derrick, figuring if the three pulled what they thought would work, there would have to be a winner in the pile between the three of them. Sighing, she pulled her hair tie off her wrist with her teeth, and messily tied her hair up into a bun as her phone rang. She paused, then begun to dig through her Givenchy purse to find her iPhone.

" _Hey babe_!" Plovert greeted her cheerily over the phone speaker as soon as Dylan answered.

" _Ugh, thank god. I miss you!"_

" _I miss you too! I've been at the office all day, and I feel like I'm on my way to a breakthrough, so I wanted to call up my inspiration. How's your day going?"_

" _Shopping is literally taking forrrrr-ever."_

" _No luck with the dress?"_

" _Well, Massie's dress was what took the entire first half of the time we've been here. Mine, though, should be easier at least."_

" _Babe, you can pull off anything, you know that."_

" _I don't know about that, Chris. God, I haven't been in a room with all these girls in so long.."_

" _And you know you'll be the only one to measure up. You can't doubt yourself, Dyl." Chris spoke to her softly, although he could hear her ruffling through different materials on the other line._

 _"I'll take your word for it, babe. I gotta go though, Derrick and Massie have arm fulls of dresses and are glaring at me at the fitting room entrance."_

" _Love you baby, send me pics!"_

* * *

" _Do you think you're gonna be ready for this_?" Derrick asked, leaning against the couches lining the fitting room entrance as he and Massie waited for Dylan to come out of the evening wear section.

" _I do, I mean...I have to be, you know?"_

" _But you aren't doing it alone, so don't forget that."_

" _I know, thank God I have you two."_

" _Mass, you also have your other friends, too. Riv and Chris and you know Kemp will beat any ass any day of the week."_

Derrick explained, leaning over and resting a hand on Massie's shoulder. He hated the tone in her voice, he hated the downright defeat sinking through each of her words.

" _Yeah, you're right. It's just that I feel so fuckinh weak having all these people come to my rescue. I never needed anyone before, I was the one people needed, people wanted, people feared. Why does no one fear me anymore?"_

Was she actually having a mental breakdown right now because people actually like her now? Derrick couldn't handle it, he knew he had his fair share of enemies throughout middle and high school, but he was so relieved now that they were disputed and resolved. He couldn't imagine going through college and real life knowing how many people might hate or be afraid of him. At least have the nerve to be an adult and be fake about it behind his back, you know?

" _Because we aren't in grade school."_

" _I really think that's when I peaked."_

It was a shame, Derrick thought to himself as he rubbed small circular patterns into her shoulder blades.

" _If it helps, you still scare me."_

" _I do?"_

" _Yeah, but it's like a hot kind of scary. Like if I try to kiss you, are you gonna kiss me back, or try to slice my dick off with your nails? You never know."_

Now he really wished he bit his tongue. Before she could offer a category Massie snarky response, Dylan came up to the two of them with a small pile of her own. _"Let's do this!"_

* * *

When Dylan stepped out of her fitting room with her hair tied up in a messy bun, wearing a mint green and black Allen Schwartz V-neck gown, a pair of dolce gabbana beige wedges and a diamond kite choker, Massie lost her nerves.

The dress hugged to every inch of Dylan's body, was something she would have tossed right out the door two year ago, hell, two months ago.

It was made for her, the way it fell down her hips and grazed the toned muscles in her back and butt.

The mint green highlighted her features sharply, while the black brought about a nice contrast that made anyone turn their heads.

It kept her body half on display, half in the shadows, and her hair popped against both the colors used in the dress.

" _Done, done, and done. You don't have a choice, sorry. We'll take this one!"_ Massie called out to the fitting room assistant, Hanna 'with an a'.

Dylan's face flared up with a rogue blush, creeping up her fair neck and settling on her pale cheeks.

 _"You think?"_

" _I know. I think if you walked away with another dress today, you'd be an idiot."_

" _The colors suit you, really well. Chris is gonna die,"_ Derrick smirked, coming over to give his two cents.

" _As long as I can still wear my hair up, we're good here. Where's my Am Ex?"_


	17. chapter sixteen

The main entrance of the Westchester Country Club was roped off with red roping, a plus white carpet leading down the entrance and into the grand ballroom.

There were flashing cameras everywhere, photographers taking candid shots of the guests, the food, the drinks, and the bridal party.

The open bar was packed with Massie Mule's and Twisted Tristan's, being the two signature drinks of the event. Massie was a classic take on a Moscow Mule while Tristan's was full of iced tea flavored vodka and bitters. (How fitting was Tristan's signature drink?)

Everywhere the guests looked, there was crystal dripping from the ceiling, pillowy white curtains making guests feel like they were in a dreamland of some sort.

Floral arrangements of white peonies flooded every surface, with classical music being played by one of Manhattan's best orchestras.

Derrick and Dylan worked the room with joy-filled fake smiles, while Massie continued to get ready in the power room with Alicia.

Tristan was already downstairs, schmoozing half of Westchester as Derrick looked on in disgust. William kept throwing his arm round Tristan's shoulders, telling everyone how thrilled he was to be having him as son in law.

" _They aren't even married yet," Derrick snarled into his Jameson and Ginger._

" _No, but to William and Kendra, they've been married ten years and are inheriting the family fortune. Oh, and the taj mahal."_

" _Got it. Where's Kemp?"_

" _Someone needs my services?" The sly curly haired boy popped up, pressing a kiss to both Derrick and Dylan's cheeks._

" _Where's my actual boyfriend?" Dylan asked, looking around the room but not seeing Plovert anywhere._

" _He's with Massie, trying to keep her calm because Alicia keeps throwing up, but that's neither here nor there."_

" _She what?"_

" _Yeah, I'm not gonna lie, it's kind of weird. Like, she hasn't even eaten anything, and she can't keep anything down. I wonder if she's sick?"_ Kemp thought out loud.

" _Where's Josh?"_

" _He's with Tristan, doing what we asked."_

" _Thank God. Does he know she's sick?"_

" _I think so, but we all know there's bigger issues right now so he's handling Tristan the best he can."_

" _Good thing being fake is Josh's job, or we'd be so screwed right now."_ Dylan remarked, taking a sip from her champagne flute as Kemp choked on his bourbon.

 _ **BREAKBREAKBREAKBREAKBREAK**_

Josh stood in his fitted navy suit jacket, grinning to the cameras with his arm around Tristan. His burgundy red button down shirt underneath his jacket popped against his tanned skin, and the cameras loved him, per usual.

He was always dressed and ready, as it was basically his job. He could never be seen un-put together. Except when he brought Alicia to the urgent care fifteen minutes away three nights ago after midnight because she couldn't stop vomiting.

Josh knew that once the words 'pregnancy test' came out of the doctor's mouth, it was true. Something he had been hoping and (secretly) praying for for the past three years actually happened, and he tried to contain his excitement for Alicia's sake when they got the results, but he couldn't.

She was distraught that her body would be changing, that she might not be able to film any more segments after six months, that she could only do chest-up shots after that. Alicia was upset she'd be pregnant during the aftermath of Massie and Tristan, not able to really help as much as she wished she could.

Josh, on the other hand, was beyond elated. All he wanted was a little boy to teach baseball, teach how to dress, and just give his unconditional love to. He wanted a mini him for so long, that now that he has it, he doesn't know how he's holding in the news.

Now, though, he's standing next to Tristan, with a bright white grin as the cameras flashed over and over. Paparazzi were covering the entire entrance, Kendra really did make it a big event. Of course, it's probably the biggest social event of the year in Westchester.

William was on Tristan's other side, and it was so fucking hard for Josh to not burst. But, they picked him because it made sense. Tristan needed him on his side, so Tristan would be all buddy-buddy with him while the girls got everything into position. Tristan usually kissed Josh's ass, and tonight was no exception.

"That's such a gorgeous Rolex, Josh, you just have to put in an order for me." Tristan drawled, eyes resting on the solid gold timepiece in question. It caught the light perfectly and reminded everyone just what Josh and Alicia Hotz's social status was, and Tristan knew right away he needed it.

"How are you holding up? Nervous?" Josh asked, tilting his head to the side and removing his arm from Tristan's shoulder once the camera flashes went away.

"Oh, of course. You probably remember how you felt so close to your wedding, right? It's all just so insane, so time consuming. Massie and I don't get a good night's rest with all of the planning we have to do." He told Josh, speaking up a little louder for William now in the background to hear.

Josh raised an eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure Massie and you haven't seen each other in a few days, though? You know, with the planning for this event and all?"

Tristan let out a nervous chuckle, raising a hand to loosen the top button around his neck. "Uh, yes, that's right. Massie said that we'd distract each other too much!"

Josh nodded, before offering to get him a drink since he was heading to the bar, and disappeared into the crowd.

 _ **BREAKBREAKBREAKBREAKBREAK**_

The to-be bride was inside one of the private suites. Her makeup artist Anise and hair stylist Jakkob just left, and she looked stunning. Her eyes were done up and smoked in black to match her dress she was currently covering with her silk robe. Her hair was long and flowing with added extensions, shiny and soft to the touch and cascading curls falling down her shoulders and back. She looked beautiful, but she didn't feel it.

She felt like she was on display, like she was something to be seen and admired but not asked how she feels, it's all about her and Tristan and Tristan's opinion mattering most.

Massie threw her black giuseppe zanotti satin wing jeweled heel at the door, taking great pleasure in the glass vase filled to the brim with white candies it brought crashing down with it. She felt like it was the perfect metaphor for her life.

A clear Waterford vase, with exquisite crystal detail, looking perfect for every human eye that sees it. Full to the top, almost overflowing with candies and sweets and all good things in life. Then, suddenly, some black cloud of darkness throws itself at it, and it all comes tumbling down. It breaks, it smashes, it crumbles into a pile on the ground and everyone just...stares at it.

No one tries to help pick up the pieces. Everyone just watches it, admires its beauty until it crumbles, then moves on to the next one. How is this the life she was given? How is this fair?

" _Mass, c'mon, don't be like that."_ Plovert reasoned, moving to her and sitting down on the ground beside her on the floor while Alicia was in the bathroom throwing up her brains and the coconut shrimp she ate on her way through the set up with Massie.

" _I know it's hard, I know it fucking sucks, but you know better than us that we all have to do it tonight. We all just have to bite the bullet, no matter how hard it is, or else this is going to go so far south."_

" _I know, it just...it's hard, it's hard to look at him, even be in the same room as him. It's so hard pretending we're happy, because I know that I'm basically lying to the entire room of people. There's people I love in there, friends, family…."_

" _Derrick…"_

" _I mea-"_

" _I KNEW IT!"_

" _Shut up Alicia!"_ Chris and Massie both yelled, and for a reply, got more puking noises.

" _Anyway, I know, you don't need to tell me it, Mass. I just...we're all here for you, and all these people you love are still going to be supporting you while you go through it all. I just...I wish this wasn't your reality, but we're changing it. We just have to play the game a little longer."_

" _Look, I know no matter how far away you look, you see it. No matter how much you try to escape, you're still here. It's hard, and no one is denying that, but no one is also denying your strength and endurance and drive to do this to start with. I mean, he isn't a great guy, Mass. I doubt he ever was."_

" _He was, a long time ago. Before the money was that clear, before it was that...close to his grasp? I dunno, I really don't know why it all went so sour. All I know is I cannot let him into this family, he's going to destroy the one thing I have that's just mine."_

" _And you know that it's someone else's place."_

" _Yeah."_

" _Which is it's own conversation, which we ARE going to have after today is done, Massie. But, for now, it's the party and we need to handle this the right way in front of everyone. So we need to fight this, tooth and nail. We can't get frustrated and we can't get sloppy. We can't give up either, but as far as I know, Block's don't give up."_

" _You're right, Chris. You're so fucking right."_

" _Let's get you into this dress, then."_

" _Who's gonna check on Leesh?"_

Chris sighed deeply. _"I fucking hate vomit."_

 _ **BREAKBREAKBREAKBREAKBREAK**_

It was seven o'clock, and Kendra took to the microphone to silence their guests while Tristan and Massie met behind the stage.

" _You're wearing black?!"_

" _I can wear what I want. It's my wedding, isn't it?"_

" _Yeah, but black?"_

" _Yes."_

Kendra began speaking into the microphone while the couple waited their queue.

" _Thank you all for coming. This is such an important and special occasion for us, for now we finally have a son coming into our world! As many of you know, Massie is an only child. Now, we're blessed by the form of a future son-in-law to love like we would our own. Ladies and gentlemen, please follow me in a warm welcome to the newly engaged couple. Come on out, Tristan!"_

Massie scoffed at how her mother chose to only address **him** , the one that's not even in their family to start.

Dylan's jaw dropped.

Derrick's clutch on his whiskey glass shattered the glass onto the floor.

Chris shook his head in dismay.

Alicia choked back vomit, and threw her champagne glass (that she wasn't drinking) to the floor in disgust.

Tristan smirked, offered Massie his arm, and led the couple out.

The look of dismay and pure horror on Kendra Block's face when Massie came out in a black and red sequin deep v-neck ballroom gown with a high slit up the leg was priceless, and Derrick was definitely getting a copy of it when the photographers printed it.

Massie air-kissed her mother's cheek, grabbed the microphone, and 'accidentally' crushed her mothers toes on her way to the center of the stage.

" _I would personally like to thank you all for coming out for such a big….show, tonight. I hope you all enjoy it."_

 _ **BREAKBREAKBREAKBREAKBREAK**_

By the end of the photos, Tristan was done. His head hurt from all the talking, his jaw hurt from fake smiling, and his hand hurt from all the shaking. Was this what his life was to consist of now? Money, parties, meeting new people and being around such gorgeous women? If so, sign him up.

From being involved in Massie's family and in Westchester for this long, he's pretty much gotten the unsung rules down pat. The man is the soul provider of the house, and can cheat as long as he gets his wife a new chanel. He and his wife are to throw tons of parties to show off their wealth, donate to the local private schools, and get a building named after them. He can do whatever he wants, because the woman has to obey him. He grinned at the thought, leaning against one of the outdoor walls of the country club as he was taking a break from the party going on inside.

" _So you're Tristan. Congratulations."_

" _Uh, yeah, that's me. And you are?"_

" _Fisher, Cam."_

" _Awesome."_

" _Anyway, let's cut to the chase here."_

" _There's a chase?"_

" _Who are you, and what is your issue?"_

" _What do you mean?"_

" _I know you hit her. I know you do it often."_

" _Who the fuck are you?"_

" _Someone who knows the signs, and someone who knows your fiance. You better watch yourself, Tristan, because you'll have a lot of people coming after you."_

" _Where's security?"_

" _Oh, those are my cousins, so. Anyways, not to put a damper on this beautiful party, but you better watch where you put your fucking hands, bud. You touch her, you're mine. I see one bruise and I'm coming for you. Oh, and don't bother running to William. We go way back, he's basically like my adoptive father, and if you think he'd pick you over me, you are very wrong."_

 _ **BREAKBREAKBREAKBREAKBREAK**_


	18. chapter seventeen

Alicia took a long swig of ginger ale out of her crystal champagne flute and closed her eyes, in an attempt to steady her breathing. She couldn't tell if she was having a panic attack, or was simply fighting back another wave of nausea. She could not believe this was when her body decided to betray her like this. On all days? The brunette was so annoyed, she could've missed something super important!

She knew Massie didn't mind, it probably even helped distract her from the craziness that was circling them that night. All the plotting, all the plans - was this what their lives were becoming? They thought high school was over, that all the drama of their teenage years was left behind. They always seemed to forget, though, that whenever they looked outside their tight knit group there was always going to be someone ready to grab at them.

It was nothing new, though. All throughout middle school, the same thing happened. Newcomers and outsiders always tried to test their luck. Whether it was greed or pure stupidity, everyone tried their hardest to come in between the pretty committee and their boys and none of them walked away unscathed.

Would Alicia and Josh's kids have the same problem? Would they even have friends, considering their friends clearly aren't going to be having kids for a long time? The thought of her child sitting at a lunch room table friendless and alone was enough for Alicia to start breaking out in a cold sweat.

* * *

After Cam Fisher - that was his name, right? - and his threats, Tristan was beginning to feel a little… uneasy about the night ahead of him. Mainly how he felt like everywhere he turned, he had someone glaring or someone laughing or someone just wishing ill upon him. Tristan wasn't used to this much hostility, surprisingly enough. Westchester's elite usually only acted this way towards the females, but tonight it seemed like Massie was nowhere to be found and Tristan was getting all of the anger and resentment.

Was it because he was marrying the only Block daughter? Was it because he'd be the only man marrying into the Block Estate, the Block Trust, the Block Empire? Everyone in Westchester was vying for this position because there was only one. Within each wealthy family in Westchester, they all had at least two children, except the Block's which made them more….elite, more desired, more important. Everyone knew one day this would happen, but according to the town's gossip, Tristan wasn't who they all thought would be the one standing opposite Massie Elizabeth Block at the altar.

" _You good, Tristan?"_

" _Oh, hey Chris. I didn't see you there."_

" _Yeah, I could tell. You look a little lost."_

" _I guess I just never realized how hard it is to find a friendly face at these kind of things. I kind of figured at my own party it'd be a little easier?"_

" _Yeah, well, you thought wrong I guess. It's Kendra, though. She doesn't do the whole friends and family thing, it's 'friends of friends' and 'people we've never spoken to' and 'forbes most influential fifty under fifty'. You know, the typical."_

" _Ha, yeah, you're right."_

" _Want a drink?"_ Chris asked, handing him a glass of scotch he had grabbed off a passing waiter's tray and handing it to Tristan as he kept one for himself. _"Cheers, to becoming one of the few to make it this far. To a long life - full of sex, money, cars, and well… everything else money can buy."_

" _I'll drink to that."_

* * *

" _I cannot believe the nerve of you, Massie Elizabeth! It's your own engagement party!"_

" _Exactly! So I can wear whatever I want!"_

" _No, you wear what I tell you!"_

" _But it's MY party!"_

" _You're MY daughter!"_

" _It's MY life!"_

" _It's MY wedding planning!"_

" _IT'S MY WEDDING!"_

" _LADIES! That is enough!"_ William's voice echoed across the suite, where Massie and her mother were arguing back and forth.

Dylan and Kristen were perched on one of the plush white velvet couches watching the battle go down, Josh was on the armchair with his own arm strung around Alicia, and Derrick was standing behind the couch with his arms folded across his chest.

The air in the room was incredibly thick and heavy. Massie felt like she was drowning in the smell of all the women's perfumes and the men's heavy colognes, and the sheer thick-headedness of her defiant mother. No wonder where she got it from.

" _Your mother is right, Massie. Wearing black to an engagement party is a terribly tacky move, and you knew you'd be getting in trouble for that. So, might I ask why you needed to do it?"_

" _Because white is so last season, Dad. It's predictable, and Blocks aren't predictable."_

" _But it's an engagement."_

" _Yeah, but it's mine. If I wanted to show up in fucking blue, I could've for the sheer principle of the matter that it's mine. When you both had your engagement party, she did whatever she wanted with your money. I can do whatever I want with the money I at least work for."_

" _Fair point. Kendra, it's her wedding, it's her night tonight. You might've planned it, but can we just try to not make it miserable for our only daughter and only child?"_

" _I just feel so disrespe-"_

" _ **I said**_ _, can we try?"_

" _I suppose."_

" _That's what I thought you said."_

The only noise in the room was the sound of the violinists floating in from the center room, which could only be heard because of how fucking quiet everyone in the room was being. No one knew what to say, or how to respond. When William was mad, he was ripping mad and no one wanted to deal with it. So, all the guests in the room continued to look at each other with shared glances of confusion hoping someone would speak up.

" _So, Derrick. How is that new property going on 97th street? I had my eye on it myself until I was told you were signing the contracts that day."_

Massie felt like she was going to vomit. Her dad was in rare spirits, and this was how he was going to create peace in the room? _Business_?

" _Oh, really? Yeah, turns out it was a pretty solid investment. We were hesitant to buy into SoHo, but it's making us think twice."_

" _I always valued that about you. You're careful, but you know when to show and when to fold."_

" _Yeah?"_

" _Yes."_

" _Thank you, sir."_

" _Call me Will."_

* * *

" _I swear to God I blacked out."_

" _Did he tell you to call him Will?"_

" _Did he actually think starting business conversation was a good segway to normalcy?"_

" _Is anyone going to tell me what's going on?"_ Chris whined, leaning over and plucking a caviar topped blini off of Dylan's plate and popping it into his mouth.

" _No, it's much more fun watching you squirm."_

" _Ouch, Dyl, claws can go away for tonight!"_

" _I just can't get over how badly your mom came at you with us all in the room."_

" _Oh, you should've seen her sweet sixteen when we were all getting ready. That was bad, this was nothing compared to the actual wrath Kendra Block can release."_

" _Don't forget Alicia's eighteenth birthday when she literally flipped a table on Joanne, that was pretty bad."_

" _Remember when Kendra and Josh's mom got into it over what table setting to use for their shared fundraiser for BOCD?"_

" _I try to forget it every day."_

" _I only remember it because my mom, to this day, will say that they would've raised another ten thousand dollars if Josh's mom didn't go with fucking silver tableware and gold tablecloths."_

" _I don't want to hear another damn thing about those tablecloths, Block."_

* * *

" _Why do you think we never worked?"_

" _Because you're a manwhore?"_

" _No, seriously."_

" _Okay. Because you're a manwhore."_

" _Ouch."_

" _You are, sorry but it's the truth."_

" _You don't know who I am anymore, Kristen."_

" _I know who you used to be, Kemp. And who you used to be is not anyone I want to be around, friends or not."_

" _You don't even want to be friends with me now?"_

" _I mean, do I have a choice? No. If I did, though, you wouldn't be my first pick. Probably like…. eight, or nine."_

" _Is Cam before me?"_

" _Obviously."_

" _Now that's just a low fucking blow, Kris."_

" _You're a low fucking blow, Kemp. Literally, because you're extremely egotistical. You're harmful and toxic, you live in a drug den, you haven't even attempted to better yourself since we had that conversation four years ago, either. You don't feel bad and you didn't try to change."_

" _You haven't seen me in four years, you wouldn't know any of that."_

" _I can see it on you right now."_

" _Come see me, come over and see me tomorrow and tell me that to my face then."_

" _If you want to do this again, then sure."_

" _And when you see how different I am, I expect a written apology."_

" _Anything else?"_

" _...Would a kiss be too much to ask for?"_

* * *

Massie flat out gasped when she saw Tristan sitting at a table with the Harrington's, the Brookmeyer's, the Hotz's and the Andersons. The four biggest names in Westchester, besides the Blocks, and Tristan was nawt supposed to be speaking with any of them. Panicked, she looked to her left and saw Dylan, Chris and Derrick chatting over the open bar.

"Help!" She mumbled, pinching Derrick by the elbow and nodding over to where her fiancee was standing. _"Why is he speaking to your parents?!"_

" _Why is he over there!?"_

" _Relax, he's drugged."_

" _Excuse me?!"_

" _I slipped a roofie in about half an hour ago. It should be setting in right about now, so he's bound to start making an ass out of himself any minute."_

" _How did you actually pull that off? I thought only Kemp could. I thought we were waiting for Kemp."_ Dylan asked in shock at the things her darling boyfriend seemed to be so capable of. She said her last sentence with a smidge of hostility.

" _He was taking too long. Him and Kris were getting into it, and we were going to blow our timing, so I did it."_

" _I didn't know we were drugging him?"_ Massie whisper-yelled, trying to disguise the fact that she was upset so no listening ears and eavesdroppers could meddle on their conversation.

" _Well, ladies and gentlemen, now we enjoy the show."_ Chris smirked, nodding to the table ahead of them and the spectacle beginning to unfold in front of their eyes.


	19. chapter eighteen

Massie, Dylan, Chris, and Derrick were circled around a standing cocktail table in a tight-knit group, watching as Tristan Montgomery Ferguson attempted to carry on conversation with some of the largest names in Westchester County. Massie's father stood off in a corner with some of the buddies from his firm looking horrified at what his future son-in-law was doing.

Massie kept her face stoic, not wanting to give anything away in fear that any passing-by guests may be suspicious of the bride-to-be. Dylan stood with her lower lip painted red stuck between her two top teeth. Chris and Derrick exchanged glances and smirks, the shaking of heads and snickers between the two were the only real ways the girls knew they were watching Tristan's every move.

She almost felt bad for a second there, knowing it had been so long since her and her friends had plotted the demise of one of her enemies before. But, once she put her left hand on her hip and felt her thumb run over where one of her scars from one of their arguments would most likely permanently mark her skin, she no longer felt any sympathy for him.

Tristan thought he could push his way into her life, into her family and take away everything that was hers. He tried to win her, her family, and her friends over so he could climb his ungrateful way to the top and use her as a stepping stone. No one steps on Massie Elizabeth Block, thank you very much.

The amber-eyed brunette had given up the life of plotting after college, but once she began really working with her father she learned it never stops. There's always going to be threats to your business, to you and your family, to your happiness, to your empire that you worked so hard to build. There's always someone waiting on the outside to come and grab whatever it is you worked so hard for, so they don't have to do the work themselves.

There's nothing Massie hates more than laziness.

Watching her fiance making an ass out of himself in front of Westchester's finest should have made her feel horrible, but instead, it put this warm feeling down in the middle of her belly.

There were quite a few unspoken rules that came along with Westchester's Elite Class.

 **Rule One: No politics at the table. Or, if you're new, at all.**

 **Rule Two: Let your money do the talking.**

 **Rule Three: A no is a no.**

 **Rule Four: Eyes off another's wife.**

 **Rule Five: Acknowledge greatness.**

 **Rule Six: Don't trust outsiders, no matter who invites them in.**

Of course, any man who boasts about working alongside William Block should know these rules and all the other ones front, back and sideways. But, the true mark of a gentleman is how well they can handle their booze, right?

* * *

" _And then, and then, then I was like, 'So! So go get em!'"_ Tristan ruptured into laughter, shaking his head and slamming his hand on the cream cloth covered table.

His chest vibrated and his eyes rolled back. Derrick and Dylan's eyes both enlarged in embarrassment, Massie looked horrified as she raised her hand to cover her mouth and Chris almost spit his whiskey into his glass as Tristan slowly realized no one else at the table was laughing. Slowly, he calmed his laughter as redness began to rise up his neck and he took a long drink from his glass of amber cognac.

Josh's parents exchanged glances of bewilderment, his mother rolling her hazel eyes before taking a long calculating sip of her Camus Père & Fils Pinot Noir. Anyone who was anyone knew not to make a mockery of William and his family, especially in this specific company. Josh's father shook his head in dismay, turning and raising an eyebrow at William who was currently playing nicely with one of Kendra's old friends and her husband who was trying to convince William why he should buy stock into their new technology startup.

Derrick's mother raised her nose at Tristan. She was always convinced, much like her son, that Derrick and Massie always belonged and would always find their way back. Her husband, however, felt differently due to William and his differences in terms of work. When Massie and Derrick broke up, the fathers took it as their turn to play hard ball. After all, children inherit thrones from their parents, right?

Back in the day, William and Leo ran Briarwood. Leo was a year older than William, so each was the alpha for their respected grade. Things never changed as they aged out of school, and the men who cowered down to them as boys still continued to do so after graduation. Leo was known to be an asshole - the kind that was constantly sitting in detention for bullying, but everyone respected his opinion regardless of how ruthless he was. William had other people doing the dirty work for him, he was the kind of leader who had a tongue that cut like a knife.

The two were best friends, they were always together and most of the time handled things together. They played on the same football team, dated girls in the same friend groups, went to the same college and the same business school. They made sure their wives, once they got married, were the best of friends.

Leo and William raised Massie and Derrick together, because they had wanted them to be just as close as them. Never in a million years did either family expect that they'd date, but once it started, both families envisioned an empire ahead of their time. Once it went south and William was sitting on his navy blue settee holding his weeping daughter as she cried out her first heartbreak, it was war.

William made sure that any zoning permits with Harrington Montgomery Enterprises' signature on it was denied in their entirety. Leo had to resort to payoffs, under the table handouts and bribery to build a new condominium building in the east end of Westchester County. Outside the building site, there were new protesting groups every day. Grassroots activists protested the amount of trees Leo had to cut down in order to build on the property, young adults came one day dressed in Native American garb to represent the ancestors who once lived off of the land he took over, Mothers Against Drunk Driving Westchester even showed up for a full week to stop work when they caught wind he was building a bar inside the building.

William's company was accused of slander, tax evasion, withholding incomes from his employees and multitudes of complaints from people who weren't even his clients who didn't like the way The Block Financial Organization handled business. They were faced with a social media blackout (or 'block out') for a week, as no one in their IT department could figure out who put a virus in their software. His security system was breached, and an anonymous source leaked multitudes of his clients personal information online. That was a mess for his Public Relations department.

Harrington Montgomery Enterprises had to cancel their annual golf fundraiser when Leo found out that The Block Financial Organization was holding a benefit banquet for the relief victims of the hurricane in Puerto Rico on that same date. And, William's company somehow managed to hire the same event company that Leo's company uses. Ironic, huh.

Both families had such big dreams for how the Harrington-Blocks would become one. They'd have offices in New York, Los Angeles, Miami, London, and Paris. They would be open to publicly traded stock, worth billions instead of millions. Their kids would grow up together, have their own children and tell the story for ages to come.

Harrington Montgomery Enterprises and The Block Financial Organization were meant to merge, their families were meant to become one, and if Derrick's mother knew her son at all - she knew him standing at that table with a determined look in his eyes meant he was going to make sure it damn sure happened.

" _So, uh...how about those new policies Trump's enacting, huh? I think he's right. Bring business back to the states where it belongs. Why should we be manufacturing goods in other countries and helping their economies when ours is going to shit?"_

" _You do realize that if that ban goes into place, every time you and Massie purchase from our company, our prices will be forced to be raised about forty five percent, right?"_ Albert Anderson inquired, turning his attention to the young brunette sitting at the table with the rest of the older business men and their wives.

The Anderson's mass manufacture all plastic goods in Westchester and the surrounding counties. If it's recyclable, it's most likely produced from one of the Anderson's plants. His wife, Amy, spearheads a recycling program initiative in all of the private schools across Westchester County District as a result of a messy lawsuit a few years prior.

" _What do you mean?"_ Tristan's big blue eyes lit up in confusion as he let his finger trace the condensation forming on the outside of his crystal short glass. The one thing no one could deny about Tristan was that he was handsome, he always had that going for him. He had such luscious brown hair, big blue eyes anyone could get lost in and a bright megawatt smile with dimples that could brighten up any mood. His permanent year round tan was a nice feature, too.

" _I mean we import our plastic from those other countries. It's cheaper for us, so it's cheaper for you to order from us in turn. But, if we are forced to source in other places for it, which we've been doing our extensive research in, it'll be about a forty five percent minimum increase in price. Which translates to about...well, if it costs you a dollar per item to buy from us, it'll now cost you $1.46 per item. So, in small it doesn't sound like a big increase, but in the long run for an order of about five hundred items you're looking at at least $730.00 instead of the normal $500.00 we used to be able to charge you for."_

" _You know, kid,"_ Ezra Brookmeyer started as he leaned back in his chair and threw his arm around the back of his wife's seat. _"I was like you once."_

" _Young and brazen?"_

" _Young and stupid."_

" _Oh."_

" _Yes. But, I grew up."_

" _Right."_

" _I looked up to my mentors."_

" _Yes."_

" _You have William, who's the best of the best."_

" _You're right about that, sir."_ Tristan grinned, leaning over and raising his glass to toast to  
William. No one did the same, and Josh's father shook his head in hopes Tristan would understand it meant to put the glass back down on the table. Nodding his head, he took a sip and put it back down on the platinum and cream decorated table top.

" _You need to start opening your eyes and learning from him before it's too late. Take Massie for example. She's been groomed by him since she was a toddler. She's watched him her whole life, she's idolized him, walked in his shoes. Now, you have to. You have to be the man she's always learned to look up to. If you can't match him, well, why are you sitting here?"_

" _I guess I didn't think of it like that."_

" _You need to be more like...like, like Derrick."_

Derrick's mother Trish choked on her red wine, covering it up with a cough and setting down her glass.

" _What do you mean?"_

" _He's also been groomed by his father. He knows social queues, he knows etiquette. He knows when to put up and shut up, when he needs to fold. Derrick can stand his ground and knows that no one will push him. You? People around here are going to walk right over if Bill isn't hovering over your shoulder. Or Massie. And trust me, Massie has never been the girl who needs to maintain her man, she sure as hell won't start now."_

* * *

The first course was served smoothly, no hiccups there. A seasonal salad with an apple cider vinaigrette, apple slices, walnuts and a glass of hard cider to lighten the moods and spirits of their guests was served tableside.

Massie was thankful she didn't opt for the private table for their engagement party, as if she had to be stuck in another personal moment with Tristan, she'd probably stab him with her butter knife.

" _How are you doing?"_ Alicia, who was seated beside her, asked in her eat.

" _Hungry, cranky, stabby kind of mood. How about you?"_

" _About the same. Is a murder pact a thing yet? Josh is getting on my nerves with constantly asking if I'm okay, if he can get me anything, if he's annoying me, if he's too close to me, if he's not doing enough, blah blah blah."_

" _We can make it one. Tristan keeps staring at me and I know he's still drugged up so he's probably in his least maniacal state right now, but I still can't stand him."_ Her amber eyes fell on the sparkling engagement ring sitting on her left hand. She watched the way it shined as it caught the light in any direction, which was the point. Tristan knew Massie liked to be seen from all angles, and anything that was an extension of her also had to be seen just as much.

" _Is our lives ever going to get easier?"_ Alicia deadpanned before stabbing her salad with her fork and taking pleasure in the loud crunch it made.

" _My crystal ball is broken, but I'm pretty sure it's a no."_

" _Wait, did you say Tristan is drugged?"_

" _Where have you been, Leesh?!"_

" _Vomiting."_

" _Oh, right. Yeah, Chris did a thing and I didn't know about it and that's where we're at right about now. I'm not sure how long it lasts for, I've never really been in this situation before or anything so it's all pretty new to me, but I think I'm supposed to like him more when he's like this."_

" _Do you?"_

" _I mean he's being really nice, but every time I look at him I just...it's different. I remember what he did, what he said, what we've done, it's just different. I remember how his brain really works, what he's done to me so many times, it's not right and I can't go back on this now. We've come too far."_

" _You're right, we can't. We just need to finish what we started."_

" _Exactly. No matter how hard it is."_

" _It's only hard right now because he's basically sedated. Once he gets his personality back, Mass, you're gonna remember why you're doing all this."_

" _But, at the same time… I fell in love with this man for a reason, you know? I agreed to marry him for a reason. Half of me feels like we could've figured things out if we weren't so fucked up, or maybe I'm giving up too easy."_

" _Massie Elizabeth,"_ Alicia hissed before leaning over and whispering in her ear. " _The man beats you for Christ's sake! Do not sit here and try to tell me that you can work these things out. You love him, yes, but that's not him, that's something evil inside of him. He isn't the same man you dated four years ago, clearly, you can't lose sight of that."_

" _You're right. I can't lose sight of that. He isn't the same. Right now he probably is, I'm sure we'll have fun tonight, but once he wakes up in the morning? It'll be hell all over again. Oh shit, smile, photographers."_

* * *

" _Have I told you how much I love you?"_

" _No."_

" _Well, I love you, so much. And I'm so happy that we're doing this tonight, we're surrounded by so many family and friends and...well, Kendra's friends, and it's just so nice being able to celebrate our love here with everyone."_

" _Yeah, it is nice. I love you, too."_ Massie said softly as they distributed the main course out to each of the guests.

She felt Derrick's heavy stare on her, on top of the overwhelming feeling she wasn't able to shake the entire night. Massie couldn't help but feel...sad wasn't even the right word. Heartbroken, inconsolable, crestfallen even. This was supposed to be one of the happiest nights of her life, it's her engagement party, but she couldn't wait for it to end. Here she was, plotting her future husband's demise with every breath she took.

Massie felt overwhelmed by everything. By the glittering and flashing lights everywhere she looked, by the soft cream and platinum fabrics covering every surface. The center of the tables were covered in flowers, glitter was on every surface imaginable, wine was poured at every table, and Massie couldn't breathe.

White and platinum bled together in her line of vision, everyone around her laughing and joking and celebrating and cheering in well wishes for the couple to be. The DJ's music that took over once the extremely coveted and expensive harpist and orchestra was done playing sounded amazing at first, but now it felt like her ears were bleeding.

Her skin was flushed and pale, Massie felt her palms growing sweaty with every shaky breath she took and in an attempt to calm herself down tried to chug as much water as her body would let but her shaky hand couldn't keep the glass still enough. Tristan reached out, steading it for her and watching his fiance with concerned eyes for the first time in over a year.

He stood up, setting his napkin down on his seat and took her by the arm. Tristan helped her up out of her seat, excused them from the table and led Massie out the double french doors that were draped in billowy fabric and down a hallway until they were standing in the chilly October air.

Derrick began to stand until Dylan and Kemp both put their hands on either of his shoulders since they were seated beside him, holding him down. Dylan shook her head and then let her hand drop down back to her side, while Kemp kept his grip firm on his friend's shoulder knowing how stupid he could be.

" _Let her go. If she needs us, we'll know."_

" _Do you trust him?"_

" _You can't make a scene here, Derrick. You getting up will do just that. If she needs us, she'll tell us."_

Massie was swaying in her Louboutins but allowed Tristan to walk her wherever, because she firstly knew she couldn't put up a fight in this setting but she also knew that the drugged Tristan he was right now was the one she fell in love with, the one who wouldn't harm her. She knew she trusted him, no matter what he did to her prior.

Tristan took his suit jacket off and draped it around Massie's shoulders even though he knew the cold air was exactly what she needed. He still didn't want her catching a cold. The pair stayed silent as he rested his hands on her hips and stood behind her, holding her firmly and pressing his chin to her right shoulder until her breathing finally steadied. Massie hadn't had one of those panic attacks in a long time, but the last time things got really messy and Tristan couldn't see her crumble again.

" _I love you…"_ she whispered faintly into the blowing wind.

" _I love you."_

" _Thank you, for loving me. Thank you, for helping me."_

" _You don't need to thank me. What happened?"_

" _I just...it's a lot at once."_

" _I know."_

The silence that fell over them was comforting, it was so calm compared to the noise and excitement going on inside. Massie lived for these events, lived for being the center of attention. She didn't know what spooked her this time, but it wasn't acceptable. She wasn't going to live her life like this, crippled by her anxiety or her fear of this or that.

" _I love you when you're like this."_

" _Like what?"_ Tristan asked, his eyes reading disoriented as he tilted his head so he could look down at her in the eyes.

" _Nice."_

" _Am I not usually nice?"_ That was when Massie realized he didn't remember.

" _You don't remember, do you?"_

" _Remember what?"_

Massie took a deep breath. _"You don't remember hitting me, you don't remember cutting me, you don't remember smacking me or cursing me out or…"_

She stopped when she saw his ice blue eyes melt over, welling up with tears listening to what she was saying.

 _"You don't remember any of that, do you?"_

* * *

 ** _with that cliffhanger, hello my lovely readers! i have big plans for this story, but it's hard keeping updated with a full time job hence why my updates are so sporadic. i do read and appreciate all your reviews because that's what keeps me writing! i'd appreciate if each of you guys reading this left me a review, but also - let me know what you guys want! do you want to hear from other character's points of view? more details on what goes on with other characters, other pairings (IE: kristen x kemp, dylan x chris, claire x anyone etc etc) or do you guys like that this is more massie-centric? talk to me, let me know what you guys want and i'll try my hardest to match it! thanks guys, until next time! xoxo_**


	20. chapter nineteen

" _It's physically impossible for him to not remember."_

" _Really, Kris?"_

" _I'm just saying!"_ The dirty blonde exclaimed, throwing her french-manicured hands up in the air before resting her left hand on her Nike Pro black legging covered thigh.

Her royal blue Nike crewneck sweatshirt had the sleeves cuffed, and on her feet were a pair of stark white Converse. All the girls had slept over Massie's estate the night of the engagement party for this very reason - to recap the night, gossip, and have a bonding sleepover like they always used to.

" _Do you always have to be so pessimistic?"_ Alicia questioned in an honest tone of voice before chomping down on her whole wheat toast.

Alicia wore a long sleeve burgundy and white Ralph Lauren top with a cowl neck, a Patagonia beige sherpa vest over top and a pair of True Religion mid rise medium wash jeans cuffed at the ankles with her brown leather Gucci mules. Her long, silky black hair was tied up in a ponytail, bits and pieces sticking out and it looked like she hadn't fixed it from sleeping in it the night before.

" _I'm just being realistic!"_

" _Have you spoken to him at all?"_ Her maid of honor turned her attention towards Massie as her staff left the kitchen so the girls could have their privacy.

" _Not since I woke up. He's still asleep at his apartment I assume, his location said he was there. I'm waiting for him to text me. When we saw his mom and his step father later that night, everything was fine. Like, after that conversation, everything was fine. He cried...like, a lot. It was like old Tristan was back last night. His mother even brought up his grandmother's pearls for me to wear at the photoshoot later this month."_

Massie had changed out of her pajamas after her morning shower and into a pair of black Splendid jogger sweatpants, a white Burberry plaid print-trimmed cropped sweatshirt and Gucci baby pink slides. Her hair was wrapped in a top knot, secured loosely by a Lululemon scrunchy.

" _Too bad their son is such a fucking monster,"_ Dylan snarked before digging into the plate of powdered sugar dusted french toast and fresh fruit Massie's new chef had prepared for the girls.

Dylan had pulled on a Free People white tunic sweater with a deep cowl neck, a pair of black ripped J Brand skinny jeans and pink and black Arlotta Pom Pom slides.

" _Mm, tell Carly she makes an amazing french toast."_

" _Anyway,"_ Massie muttered before spooning her fresh yogurt and berries in her bowl. _"I feel...bad for him, if what he was telling me was true. Maybe he really doesn't remember? I just don't understand how that's possible. Is it like a bipolar disorder or something? Because we've had conversations about it after, his behavior, and he was totally nasty and ruthless to me about it."_

" _I've been doing research into it,"_ Alicia pipped up, reaching over and grabbing her iPad pro. She flipped open the case, and after a few taps, pulled up her research. _"Disassociation is apparently pretty common when the behavior you do is pretty fucked up. He could be disassociating himself from those behaviors, so when he'd be doing them, he'd essentially black out. So when it would be brought up in conversation after, he kind of blacks out again, so how he reacts isn't in his control."_

" _It's not that studied, though."_ Kristen reminded all the girls at the table before taking a sip from her orange juice glass. _"Plus, it's hard to prove to anyone. Regardless, if he is disassociating, he's still a flight risk and has got to go."_

" _I mean, it's given he has to go. I can't worry about him doing it to my kids in five years."_ Massie spoke sternly, even a little too calmly for the situation at hand. _"Tell me more, though."_

" _So, disassociation is a registered mental illness, but it's not heavily researched because it's hard to prove. It's literally gaps in your brain, gaps in your memory. It's like memory loss, but based more on specific people or specific actions. Typically it's found more in military members and people with severe trauma, but who knows what's going on in his brain, ya know?"_

" _Is it curable?"_

Massie wasn't going to sit here and lie. She did have a little glimmer of hope that maybe somehow she could help him work through this nightmare and they could find their happiness, their forever. But, she knew she couldn't trust someone like him for a future she wanted.

" _Not really. Medication and therapy, but it's not like depression, it's not something you work through, it's something you just try to minimize. You said this started happening after his dad died, right?"_

" _Yeah."_

" _So, that must've been a traumatic enough event for him and it made him spiral. We just have to figure out the connection between his father and you, what correlates you two that makes it happen to only you."_

The brunette alpha nodded her head, taking in this wealth of information. She appreciated that her friends cared enough to do the research and look into these things for her, because everyone knew she had more than enough on her plate to even think about it. Massie felt stuck, but she knew she was slowly finding her way out and back to her own happiness and sanity.

" _I thought Derrick was going to go out of his fucking skull last night."_ Dylan supplied through a mouthful of french toast, white powder tracing her pink lips..

" _Why were you holding him down?"_

" _He was going to chase after Tristan when he brought Massie outside!"_

" _Oh god!"_ The brunette whimpered, shaking her head and nervously twisting her platinum pear shaped engagement ring on her finger. _"That's the other issue!"_

" _What's the issue with Derrick, exactly? Now I'm lost."_

" _Uh, everything?! It's all fine and good that we're rekindling everything, but I'm engaged, he's sure as hell got a lot of making up and ass kissing to do after everything him and I have been through I'd be an idiot to just let him walk into my life again without at least_ _ **fighting**_ _for me, and he's going to go fucking ballistic the more he sits and watches Tristan and I play nicely."_

" _Who's playing nicely?"_ Josh's voice rang through the kitchen as he came waltzing through the entryway of the Block Estate, two to-go coffee cup trays from Espresso Expresso fully stocked in hand. He wore a Polo Ralph Lauren burgundy button down, with a pair of Allsaints khaki colored chinos and Comme Des Garcons slip on sneakers in white. At least he was put together, but then again, him and Alicia were **always** put together.

" _Not me if you don't give me my non fat latte!"_

" _C'mon Mass, we were doing so well!"_

" _Maybe, if you promise I'm god mother."_

" _Anyways,_ " Josh segwayed, distributing cups to the proper girls and pressing a kiss to Alicia's forehead after placing a tea down in front of her.

" _HEY!"_

" _I have three sisters, Massie. I can't promise anything until I'm standing in that delivery room."_

" _Fine, be like that!"_ The brunette scoffed, before taking a long sip of her piping hot latte and welcoming the burn on her tongue.

" _Oh no, did someone tell Massie she isn't godmother?"_ Derrick's head popped out from around the corner of the hallway.

" _Seriously? Is Kemp coming too?"_

" _Who do you think brought me?_ " Kemp chuckled as he and Derrick entered the kitchen, Kemp going to stand behind Kristen and taking a clean fork began to pick food off of her plate. Massie raised an eyebrow, as did Dylan and Alicia. Kristen fought off the blush rising up her neck, shaking her head and swatting his fork away as he stole a chunk of her french toast.

" _Who even let you all into my home?"_

" _Your mother loves me, excuse yourself. I'm her pride and joy, beside you she always says she wishes she had me as a child and that I would make the perfect son. I offered adoption papers but William scares me a little too much. I can't speak for these other hoodlums, however." C_ hris scoffed, brushing invisible dust off of his Frank and Ellen blue and green striped open flannel he was wearing over his white J Crew sweater and Diesel dark wash jeans. His brown leather sperrys brought the rest of his preppy ensemble together.

"Kendra loves me!" Kemp bragged as Kristen allowed him to take more off of her plate. Massie was so going to question her once all the boys dispersed. For now, though, Massie was judging Kemp's choice in fashion. He was dressed in a long sleeve navy and white Adidas tee shirt with the trifold on the front, a pair of medium wash Armani skinny jeans and a white pair of Gucci sneakers with the three stripes going down the side.

"Kendra is indifferent towards me, but we are working out our differences slowly. Flowers help, I've learned that." Derrick admitted slyly. His faded J Crew navy crew neck sweater hugged his biceps tightly, and the black quilted Barbour Gilet vest he wore over it added some texture and warmth to his outfit.

He managed to still look comfortable in his Superdry heather gray joggers with his soccer number stitched on the pockets, and navy new balance sneakers in classic Derrington style. Scanning the table, his bright brown eyes settled on an untouched plate of scrambled eggs and cheddar cheese which he began to dig into using one of the clean gold forks scattered on the cherry wooden table. Not before giving Massie a pointed look, that consisted half of 'all you're eating is yogurt?' with concern mixed with a little bit of 'you're getting too thin again.' That, he'd surely be addressing later.

"You brought my mother flowers?"

"Calla Lilies, if we want to get specific."

"Awwwwww," Alicia and Kristen coo'd over their drinks.

"Ass kisser," Dylan smirked behind her latte, throwing her curly red hair up into a messy bun and letting it bop around on top of her head. She looked up at Chris, pushing his fork away as he tried to steal some of her cantaloupe pieces. "Get your own!"

"But yours just tastes that much better!" Chris complained, sneaking in another piece of fruit.

Derrick decided to make his way over to where Massie was standing, leaning down and pressing a kiss to her cheek. Massie fought off the instant flush collecting on her cheeks. It had been over four years since they'd kissed. Even the slightest bit of affection from him was enough to drive her mad, or to drag him into her bedroom upstairs. Even the maid's chambers down the hall would've done at this point if they didn't have such attentive company watching their every move. She gave him a warm smile and rested her hand on his right cheek, to that he turned his head and kissed the inside palm of her hand before taking his coffee Josh conveniently placed beside hers and taking a long sip before whining.

" _Why does my coffee have lipstick on it and taste like diet everything?"_

" _Why are you drinking my non fat latte?"_

" _It's a half sweet, non fat caramel macchiato, Massie."_

" _I know, because I ordered it."_

" _I figured because it tastes like shit."_

" _It's probably what half my body weight consists of at this point, don't hate."_

" _Where's mine?"_

" _Probably this one."_ She rolled her amber eyes before handing him the other piping hot cup that smelled of strong maple pecan and wrinkled her nose. _"God, how can you drink that? It's like five hundred calories of whipped cream and artificial flavoring!"_

" _Don't you worry, princess, I'll run it all off later."_

" _Can I just say I'm glad to have you guys back?"_ Dylan interrupted their spat.

" _Speak for yourself!_ " Chris yelled as he came in through the back door, his own coffee in his hand before grabbing a piece of toast off Dylan's plate and beginning to munch. Chris had thrown on an olive green Theory double layered henley, with a navy Theory bomber jacket unzipped which definitely supplied no warmth, black J Brand slim fit straight leg jeans and Vince leather slip-on sneakers in a matching navy.

" _Like, truly. It's like an old friend just came back into our lives and brought us back together. I love it, I feel like we've been reborn again."_ The redhead prophesied happily, finally feeling at peace again with her friend group.

" _Point! I agree, fully. I have a whole new awakening in my heart. I feel so much happier now, we're all together, I mean we're going through with some absolutely batshit scheming, but like...it feels like old times."_

" _Aww, Leesh, you have such a way with words."_

" _Thanks Kemp!"_

" _They really tickle my heart."_

" _You mean your penis?"_ Chris challenged with a raised brow, which got him a fist to the shoulder. _"Oww, Hotz with the anger management!"_

" _Well, now that we're all together in one room,"_ Alicia started which made everyone else in the room groan.

" _We know you're pregnant."_

" _THIS WAS SUPPOSED TO BE MY MOMENT!"_

" _You were vomiting all night."_

" _STILL, CAN I GET A LITTLE ENTHUSIASM?"_

" _Shit, she's loud,"_ Kemp murmured as he took one of the free bar chairs at the Block's marble topped island and scooted it over to the massive dining room table.

"We are all very happy for you, Leesh!" Massie exclaimed, standing up and squealing. _"You're having a baby!"_

" _I'm having a baby!"_

The room filled with congratulations for the couple. Alicia started explaining some of her fears that her baby would grow up alone ("So one of you bitches need to get knocked up fast,") and Josh told the guys how long they'd really been trying for. Kemp almost fainted at the thought of having another human to look after, but Kristen reassured everyone in the room that it's, like, super easy.

A knock on the front door silenced the kitchen. Everyone exchanged nervous glances, because no one was sure how to react if Tristan was here already. None of them besides Alicia and Josh had really been up close and private with him, and the thought was already making Dylan's stomach turn, Derrick's fists ball up, Kristen's armpits start to sweat and Kemp bounce on the balls of his feet in excitement.

With a "here goes nothing", Massie left the room and made her way to the entryway, Alicia following suit as the rest stood by the entrance to the kitchen in case they were needed (but mainly because they were super nosey). Massie thought it was strange considering Tristan hadn't called her since he woke up, but hey, maybe he just wanted to come straight over after last night.

Rolling her shoulders back and taking one last look in the mirror in the entryway, she pursed her lips before pulling open the heavy mahogany double doors and almost vomited at the sight in front of her.

" _What the hell are you doing here?"_

" _I came to say congratulations."_

" _Thanks, you can leave now."_

" _I heard there was a sleepover I wasn't invited to."_

" _You sort of revoked that invitation when you pulled your stunt at Alicia's wedding."_

" _Mass, you know how badly I feel about that."_

" _No, I don't, and I probably never will. I also don't really care, though."_

" _Don't be like this."_

" _Who's at the door, Massie?"_ Alicia called out in confusion, having stayed a few steps back to give her and Tristan privacy.

As she came up to the door and was face to face with Claire Lyons, all color from Claire's face disappeared and Alicia's face turned brick red. At the party last night, Claire Lyons was a mere fly on the wall, as she should have been. Partygoers were shocked she was invited, and even more surprised she actually accepted the invitation after everything that happened at the Hotz' wedding. His parents wouldn't even make eye contact with her last night.

" _Why do you think you have a right to be here?"_ Alicia asked calmly, resting a hand on her hip and the other moving to twirl the ends of her hair that was in her ponytail.

" _When are you going to give up this whole bullying episode, Alicia? We're adults now, we aren't in high school, middle school, no one's bigger than the other. You aren't more important, I'm not afraid of you."_

" _When are you going to stop being such a sociopath? Oh wait, that's impossible. When you're a born psycho, you can't change."_

" _This doesn't involve you, Alicia. You can go now. Massie and I were talking."_

" _You can't dismiss her, Kuh-laire. It's my home."_

" _Oh, we're back to that again?"_

" _What's going on here?"_ Josh asked, stepping forward once he saw Alicia's warning signs of a possible meltdown or freakout on the rise. Her body language was totally screwed up, tense and angry and she kept stomping her feet with every word that left her plump lips.

" _She was just leaving."_

" _No I wasn't. You can't bully me like you used to, Alicia."_

" _Claire, why are you here?"_ Derrick questioned suspiciously as he moved to the front door, peering outside the entryway in hopes of seeing Cam Fisher with her.

Derrick didn't understand what Cam saw in Crazy Claire. After her stunt at Alicia's wedding, she sealed her fate with the group, but no one would ever hold that against Cam. They all loved him, but his one fatal flaw was for seeing something in Claire no one else did. He was surprised Cam didn't come by this morning, but he had told Derrick at the party last night that he and Tristan had gotten into it and wasn't sure how happy Massie would be with him about it.

" _Cam's at a meeting. I came to apologize and attempt a fresh start, but the real question is why are you here? Where's Tristan? I'm sure he wouldn't be a fan of whatever is going on here_."

It was then that Dylan, Kemp, Kristen and Chris were put on high alert with Claire. She was asking way too many questions to be polite, or for anyone to 'just clear the air'. Claire was here to spy, by who or for what reason, no one knew, but the four knew they needed to end this conversation now before things got out of hand.

" _Derrick was my ride home. We slept over, Dylan and Chris can only fit two in her stupid little convertible since she brought me here yesterday and it'll be a cold day in hell before I ask Kemp Hurley for a ride home. Alicia and Josh have an appointment to get to, and Massie has plans. I'm not sure exactly why you feel like you deserve any explanation or answer to your questions, but there you have it."_

The sporty blonde spoke up, raising an eyebrow in an 'I dare you to disagree' way towards Claire, something she perfected from Massie, before grabbing hold of the double doors. Massie and Alicia were actually too stunned to react, and Dylan let Kristen take the reins for this rare occasion because she knew this was built up tension waiting to be released.

" _Now, if you want to interrogate your ex friends some more whom in fact you cut yourself off with your own scissors, send us a Google Invite and we can schedule it better. But for now, we all have plans and places to be. Kisses."_

Kristen let the solid wood double doors slam shut in Claire's face, her blonde bangs blowing in the wind the last thing any of them saw before the doors closed with a bang. The group was silent for a minute, half stunned because Claire actually thought showing her face at Massie Block's Estate would go any other way, half stunned because of the way Kristen handled it.

* * *

Claire was d-o-n-e with being embarrassed by these...these...these ingrates. Standing there in the cold in her Wildfox White sweatshirt, matching Wildfox flared black Tennis Pants and Adidas Deerupt net lace up sneakers, she always felt inferior compared to them in all aspects of the word.

They were all standing there basically berating her in loungewear much cuter than hers, barely any makeup on, yet they always managed to look better or be five steps ahead of her. She thought after high school those days would be over, but boy was she wrong.

Stomping down The Block's stone stairs and down the long exquisitely paved driveway, Claire climbed into Cam's white Lincoln MKS and slammed her hands against the leather-covered steering wheel in frustration. How was it fair that every time she tried to step up, they always knocked her down?

It had been this way since grade school, and Claire Lyons was so fucking sick of it. Seeing their snobby faces as they slammed the door in her face - well, Kristen slammed the door in her face - reiterated the fact that she would never be like them, and she didn't know why she bothered trying. Why did she want so badly to be part of The Clique, anyway?

It was always so...infectious. It spread like the flu, or H1N1 on the New York City Subway. She longed for their tight knit friendship, their closeness, the love they all shared. She rejoiced in the fact that they all splintered off in college, and it was evident at Alicia's wedding and what a mess the lead up to it was that things would never be the same, so what the hell brought them all back together so quickly?

Claire's brisk blue eyes settled on Derrick's all blacked out BMW x6, and her thin blonde eyebrows furrowed together in confusion. But what the fuck was Derrick Harrington doing at Massie Block's house?

Immediately dialing Cam as she pulled out of the driveway, she rolled her eyes when it went straight to voicemail and hit her steering wheel in anger.

" _Call me back,_ " she barked into the car's built in speaker before pressing the end call button on the steering wheel and peeling out into the street.


	21. chapter twenty

**wowwww, my longest yet! enjoy :)**

* * *

" _I know you don't know me, but I feel like we can help each other."_

" _How so?"_

" _I have information you could use."_

" _And…?"_

" _It'll help you. Believe me, when I'm done with my research, I think you're going to need it."_

Suddenly all that could be heard through the iPhone speaker was crackling, static was interfering with the phone call coming from a blocked number. There was rustling on the other end, some movement and what sounded like hushed whispering behind the speakers. This was most definitely the sketchiest phone call.

" _How will I know what you're even talking about? I don't even know who you are."_

" _In time, everything will be explained. When it's right, I'll call you back."_

" _Okay, I guess?"_

The phone line clicked off.

* * *

For the sake of Massie's future, she needed to pretend like everything was okay. Her amber eyes were currently scanning over the prenuptial agreement Alicia's father prepared for her and Tristan as per William's requests while Tristan was in her ensuite bathroom taking a long shower. Or, the lack of context in the agreement, if Massie was being honest. Basically, Massie has no right to the company until she's married, which is like so **fucking** **barbaric,** William.

Then, instead of being a normal parent and making **her** the CEO, it's her spouse?! What is this fuckery of a document?! Grabbing her gold iPhone xS off of her mahogany nightstand, Massie drafted up a quick email ignited in rage at the demands her father was making in this agreement and sending off changes to be made to Len Rivera immediately, marking the email as urgent.

Pulling up her text messages while Tristan could be heard singing some Luke Bryan song in the shower, Massie's thumbs moved furiously across the touch screen.

 **The Prettier Committee & Guests Minus Claire 👑 **

**Massikur: so we have a problem**

 **Leesh: What happened?**

 **Deeeeelyn: don't tell me he didn't wake up**

 **K Gregs: Wow Dylan, for a Buddhist you're pretty pessimistic.**

 **Plovyy: I 3 it**

 **Derrington #23: If you're reading this, I'm at practice. I'll text back as soon as it's over, promise.**

 **Joshy Hotzy: F U HARRINGTON AND UR DAMN AUTO REPLY MESSAGES**

 **Massikur: i just got the prenup**

 **Leesh: My dad said that your dad dictated it**

 **Derrington #23: If you're reading this, I'm at practice. I'll text back as soon as it's over, promise.**

 **Massikur: that's the problem; i have no legal right to Block Financial until im married n my spouse is automatically made ceo…..**

 **K Gregs: WTF?**

 **Kemp: Well hello every1.**

 **Derrington #23: If you're reading this, I'm at practice. I'll text back as soon as it's over, promise.**

 **Plovvy disliked Massikur's message**

 **Plovvy disliked Derrington #23's message**

 **Plovvy: is it non-specific to this certain spouse?**

 **Massikur: it doesn't name anyone y?**

 **Derrington #23: If you're reading this, I'm at practice. I'll text back as soon as it's over, promise.**

 **Massikur: derrick i will kill u**

 **Plovvy: when can i come over**

 **Massikur: he's showering then we're hanging out b4 they go for a golfing torny so i guess come round 4?**

 **Kemp: count me in 2.**

 **Plovvy: not a 3some**

 **Kemp: damn. Ok, still ill come.**

Rolling her eyes at her friends ridiculousness and sort of nervous to see what's going to come from seeing Plovert later, she locked her iPhone and put it back down to charge as she heard the shower water stop running. Tristan had come over a little after everyone left this morning to do what their days had planned for them, and he acted the exact same as he did the night before. Massie wondered if the drugs he was given had any lingering effects, or if the girls were really onto something with their dissociation theory.

" _God, your water pressure is fantastic,"_ Tristan commented as he came out of her bathroom with a plush white towel wrapped around his hips.

Massie had been faking busy on her Macbook Pro she pulled onto her lap, peering over the top of the screen and giving her fiancee a smirk and a wink. When it came to keeping up appearances, Massie was a pro. Plus, Tristan was acting normal again and fuck it, he's hot. It brought her back to the days where they first started fooling around, when she was off limits and his boss' daughter and he was her father's assistant who she knew she shouldn't corrupt.

" _Hey, whatever keeps you standing in my room without a shirt on works for me,"_ she chided, closing her rose gold MacBook and putting it back into one of the drawers of her nightstand as Tristan came stalking towards her with a wicked grin.

" _Oh, really?"_

" _Really."_

He ran his left hand through his damp hair as he came near Massie, who instinctively leaned back on her bed with a smirk as he climbed on top of her. She let her hands find their way down his back, her pointed nails sliding down his tanned skin leaving little trails he loved as he preened and lifted his chin in delight.

Massie grinned at the effect she had on Tristan, she loved making him weak. The two worked well together, for the most part, because they were like water and oil. It was always reactive. Some would say that's what's to doom a relationship, which was what most of her younger relationships were like if she was being honest, but with Tristan it worked for the most part.

His hands resting on her hip bones, Tristan began to apply some heavy pressure with his thumbs digging into her skin as his lips started leaving trails of small kisses down her neck and decollete.

" _We haven't been able to spend time like this together in so long,"_ he whined as he continued to leave small kisses down her skin, goosebumps following his touch.

" _I know,"_ she breathed out, rocking her hips into his and using her left hand to tug at the knot he had tied his towel into.

" _Someone's a little impatient today?"_ He questioned, lips curled into a sinister grin before pressing a hot kiss to her plump, swollen cherry red lips.

" _When am I ever patient?"_ Massie retorted with a raised brow, leaning up and wrapping her legs around his hips.

" _You make a good point."_

Smirking, Tristan flipped Massie over so she was on her back and slowly lifted up her cropped Burberry sweatshirt. Tossing it to the side of her queen bed, he leaned down and began to start trailing little kisses down the middle of her spine which made Massie's head shoot back. Tristan used his left hand to hold her down on the bed, his right taking her ponytail in his hand and tugging on it which made a soft moan escape from her lips.

" _Tristan, are you ready? We're leaving in two minutes."_ William Block's voice rang through the intercom, interrupting them and making them jump.

" _Fucking shit,"_ Tristan cursed before unraveling himself from his fiancee and climbing off the bed to find where he put his outfit for the golf outing.

It wasn't that Tristan didn't want to go, it was that he'd much rather be spending, uh...quality time with Massie right now. Any time he spends with William he appreciates, and has even more so since his father's passing a year ago, but the past two weeks he's been seeing less and spending less time with Massie than he'd like.

" _I just need a minute to finish getting ready,_ " he replied into the white speaker before muting Massie's microphone and turning to her with big eyes.

" _When I come back?_ " Tristan pleaded, as he began to pull on a pair of AG tapered fit walnut pants after tugging on a clean pair of Calvin Klein briefs.

Massie sighed, giving him a rather irate look that made his insides start to crumble. She held it for about a minute or so as he continued to dress himself with a light blue Polo Ralph Lauren Oxford button down, tucking it into his pants and pulling on a black suede moto John Varvados jacket. She finally broke into a small smile, nodding her head as he let out a loud sigh of relief and tied his Gucci Ace sneakers.

" _I have to run before your father kills me. I love you, I'll be back as soon as we're done, and we can pick up where we left off?"_

" _I may have plans, now that you're going to be busy."_

" _Mass, don't play me like that."_

" _Well I'm not going to sit up here like Rapunzel and wait for you to come home!"_

" _Fair enough. I'll see you when we're both done, okay? I love you."_

" _I love you."_

A quick kiss to the lips and Tristan was running down the stairs. Massie could hear him from her upstairs bedroom apologizing to William as they left the Estate, going to one of William's collectors cars where Isaac would drive them to the Westchester Country Club to golf for the afternoon with some of their stockholders.

After his stunts last night, William realized he needed to break Tristan in if he was going to be handing this company over to him once he married his daughter. And boy, did he have a lot of work to do.

* * *

" _I just feel like it's…..a little strange William left it so open ended, I guess."_

" _What do you mean open ended?_ " Massie inquired.

Massie, Chris and Kemp were currently sitting in her living room while her father and Tristan were golfing at the Country Club and Kendra was away for the rest of the weekend on a spa retreat. She claimed that the planning for the engagement party was 'sooo stressful' and she needed to take the remaining sunday and monday since it was a long weekend to unwind in peace. Right. Not like Massie was stressed out or anything, but it's fine. At least for now she had the house to herself.

Reaching over, Massie picked up the opalescent mug she was currently drinking her Cardamom Macchiato from David's Tea out of and took a long, calming sip while Chris continued to look over the prenuptial agreement. He kept pushing his glasses back up the bridge of his nose, and Massie finally saw what Dylan had always seen in Chris Plovert.

He was cute, in a smart-compassionate-everything Massie never wanted in a guy kind of way. He ran if anyone called him, he was well read and very well educated being valedictorian of the boys class every year since grammar school. She would kill to spend a day inside his brain, just trying to understand the way it worked. Him clearing his throat brought her out of her daydream and back down into reality.

" _Like, it just refers to your spouse."_

" _Yes, that's the problem, Plovert."_

" _Hi Kemp, how high are you today?"_

" _Eleven."_

" _Cool. Anyway, Mass, if you're following what I'm thinking, right?"_

" _Okay."_

" _If it's open to your spouse, then things can get pretty crazy here."_

" _How crazy?"_

" _Well, this whole time we've been trying to end this wedding. What if that isn't the answer?"_

" _Then what is, Chris?"_

" _Replacing the groom."_

" _What?"_

" _If this is applicable to any person as long as it's your spouse, then...then we could...well, technically...technically you and Derrick could get married, that would make him your spouse."_

" _So you're saying...swap the groom?"_

" _Yeah."_

The brunette wasn't sure if she was dizzy, or if the room suddenly decided to start spinning.  
When did it get so hot in here? Did anyone else hear that whistling going on or was that just her? Marry...Derrick? Of course in the long run that was what the two wanted, but not in like...not in six months time! They've barely spoken in the past four years, and now marriage is on the table?! They haven't even kissed in four years! What if there's no spark anymore?

" _Whoa whoa whoa, wait a second here. Derrick and Massie are getting married?"_ Kemp asked in disbelief, reaching over Massie's glass and mirror covered coffee table and grabbing her left hand. _"But Tristan bought you this, right?"_

" _Why did we agree to let him be part of this?"_

" _He's helpful, when he has a reason to be."_

" _I'm not sure how realistic it'll be to just swap out a groom, Chris."_

" _Well, that's where the scheming comes in. We need to get everyone together, and start planning this out."_

* * *

Derrick panted, leaning down and touching his toes while the sting of the cold October air filled his lungs. He welcomed it, he loved the sensation and he loved the pain it gave him. This was his prime time, he was always in his best place of mind right about now during the soccer season.

His team, the New York City Football Club was currently winning this season and he would be damned if he let that go. Being the goalie was hard, because he was always the first one to be blamed if they lost, and the first to be congratulated if they won.

With everything else going on in his personal life, it was amazing to him that he could keep his headspace so clear when it came to soccer. But, it's his job, and he takes it very seriously. He would do anything to keep his position, he fought so hard to get here to start with.

Balancing professional sports and a professional business career wasn't easy, but it was so worth it to Derrick. He needed it, he couldn't spend his entire life playing soccer or he'd grow to hate it, and he knew he couldn't support a family based off of that.

Derrick had been running sprints on and off the past twenty minutes of his practice, and his jersey was clinging to his skin in an uncomfortable fashion. Grabbing at the ends, he pulled the sky blue jersey over his head and tossed it into his pile alongside his gym bag where his phone was lying on top of.

Running his left hand through his sweat-dampened hair, he used his right hand to unlock his iPhone and scroll through his missed messages. First, he went through his group chat where he learned the details regarding the royally fucked up prenuptial agreement and shook his head in anger at what William was putting his daughter through. Once he was properly filled in, he moved to his next text message string, which was from Chris.

 **Plovvy** : **Dude. I think I have a way out of this mess for her.**

 **Plovvy: But I can't promise u'll like it.**

 **Plovvy: who am I kidding ur gonna love it.**

 **Plovvy: r u done yet?**

 **Plovvy: call me when u r.**

 **Plovvy: actually dont i just got to massies**

 **Derrington #23: hi**

 **Plovvy: wow look whos alive!**

 **Derrington #23: whats good**

 **Plovvy: u never saying that again**

 **Derrington #23: ok fair. what's your great idea?**

 **Plovvy: do u think massie would keep her last name?**

 **Derrington #23: what do u mean?**

 **Plovvy: like is she more of a massie block-harrington kinda girl?**

Realizing what Chris was implying, Derrick felt his knees going weak. He needed to talk to Chris as soon as possible but Chris said not to call. He raked his fingers through his sweaty hair once more as he weighed his pros and cons out right now before making a rash decision. Standing up, Derrick grabbed his things, stuffing his sweaty shirt in his sports duffle with his name and number on it and jogging over to his BMW x6.

Derrick kicked off his cleats, changing into a pair of Nike black and white swoosh slides and tossing his practice cleats into the backseat of his car. His body basically autopilotted the entire drive to the Block Estate. Whipping into the driveway and thanking whatever Gods above it was only Chris and Massie's cars parked at the house, Derrick climbed out and jogged up the stairs with his duffle on his shoulder. He didn't bother knocking since the front door was open, pushing the double doors and padding into the mansion.

" _Oh, this is where you're doing secret meetings now?"_ Derrick asked, out of breath and also realizing by the way Massie was staring at him that he never put his change of shirt on before getting inside his car.

His chest glistened under the sunlight streaming in through the floor to ceiling windows in the living room, and he wiped the sweat off of his forehead with his forearm before taking a seat on the couch across from Massie. His navy blue Nike shorts were loose around his legs compared to the mens Nike black training leggings underneath them he was sure Massie would give him hell for. But hey, it was mid October and fucking **freezing**.

" _Nice to see you dressed for the occasion._ " She remarked, watching as he discarded his gym bag on the wooden floors and shaking her head.

" _I told you I was going to run off that latte, didn't I?"_

" _Maybe if I was more aware of the lack of clothing you practiced in, I'd come watch once in a while."_

" _I practice every even numbered day that isn't a game day, sweetheart, come by some time. You can even wear one of those little cheerleading outfits from high school if you'd like."_

" _Okay, okay, no need to bicker like a married couple!"_

Both Massie and Derrick's head shot up and glared at Chris in response to his comment.

" _Maybe that was funnier in my head."_

" _I think so."_

" _Yeah, probably. Anyway, can you fill me in on this plan now?"_

" _Congrats, dude!"_ Kemp yelled as he came in from the kitchen with a plate stacked high with different variations of chips, pretzels and other snacks from her pantry. _"You're getting married! Can I be best man? Wait, do you ask me in a special way like the chicks do it? If so I want to be surprised at a hibachi grill. I think that would be sick."_

" _I'm getting married?"_

" _I think we're getting married."_

" _Yeah, that's kind of my plan,"_ Chris laughed nervously and began to rub the back of his neck as a blush crept up his neck. _"The contract is extremely non-specific when it comes to the spouse being named, which half of me believes William did on purpose."_

" _You think he's purposely trying to make it so Massie doesn't have to marry him?"_ Chris noted the heavy level of disdain in Derrick's voice when he said 'him', and how he won't even mention Tristan's name in conversation unless he's forced.

It must be hard for him, Chris thought to himself, seeing the literal love of his life go through something like this. It was probably easier four months ago when they first got engaged and Massie didn't tell anyone any of the shit going on behind the scenes in their relationship. Derrick was under the impression she was happy, he probably thought this was the best thing for her and that he could provide things Derrick couldn't for her.

Now though? Seeing the love of your life going through such turmoil and really not having any way to stop it was hard. Scheming constantly, basically having to hide everything even though everyone and their mother knows it should be you who put the ring on that finger? That must be even harder.

" _No, but I think he's leaving it open ended in case so he doesn't have to prepare another." Chris cleared his throat before continuing._

" _It's literally a blank statement, the only name filled in is Massie's. But if you read it, it says that her spouse which we'll just call Tristan for arguments sake even though the paperwork isn't specific or binding, he doesn't just get the Block Financial...he gets control over the entire Block Enterprise. That's trademarks, legal rights to everything including mergers, it's...Mass it's the entire company he's handing over. It's worse than we thought."_

If her head wasn't spinning from everything already, she was in for it now. What was she supposed to do? She knew that with Derrick, she was safe. Derrick would sign everything over to her, Derrick would be her partner. Derrick would love her unconditionally, he would treat her properly and take care of her. He was her soulmate, she knew that, she didn't ever doubt that. She wasn't afraid to marry him, she was fully in support of it. She was just afraid of how he felt about it.

Tristan, though? Tristan would make sure she had no control over anything. He was like her, always on a power trip. The thing about oil and water is all they do is react, much like her and Tristan. It's a constant power struggle between the two, and neither of them ever gave in. It worked in a sexual manner, but once business was on the table it was a constant screaming match.

Lamps were constantly being replaced because they were typically the first things Tristan would throw. Massie lost count of how many times she'd shattered bottles of his cologne on his bathroom floor in his apartment, or his wine glasses in his kitchen after he would throw their dinner plates against the walls during an argument. The two were extremely explosive.

Her and Derrick were never that level of explosive. They would argue, yes, but every couple did. They never laid hands on each other besides when she'd slap him, but that was different and Massie only did it when she was younger because he was an asshole of a boyfriend.

Massie's phone dinged with an email notification, which brought her amber eyes down to her iPhone sitting on the coffee table. Reaching down for it at the same time Derrick did, their fingers grazed each others and she immediately stared up at him with a longing, desireful gaze before raising the phone up and unlocking it.

Reading the email and trying to concentrate with Derrick's knees touching hers was hard enough. It was like every time they touched, even in the slightest, she felt flames rising on her skin and in her belly. Once she could concentrate on the actual context of the email from Len Rivera, her eyes began to well up with tears and the words began to swim on the screen.

" _Block?"_

" _Mass, what's wrong?"_

" _Talk to us."_

" _Earth to Massie?"_

Massie handed the phone with the email pulled up to Chris who was sitting beside her as Derrick stood, coming around to her and wrapping his arms around her shoulders as he took a seat beside her on the large overstuffed brown leather couch.

" _C'mere,"_

Massie leaned back into his arms, sniffling and wiping at her cheeks with her sleeve until she buried her head into his chest. Gawd, how many times was she going to cry on him?! Then, she let loose and couldn't help it as the tears kept trailing down and her body started shaking from her crying. Derrick held her tighter, pulling her into his lap and rubbing small circles into her back as his bare chest, once glistening from sweat, was now wet from her tears.

Her manicured fingers were wrapped in her sleeves, clutching onto any part of Derrick she could grab. His shoulders, his forearms, it didn't really matter. She just needed physical confirmation that he was there, he was with her and would continue to stand by her during this entire mess. He still didn't know what the email read, but by her reaction, he was sure it was not what she hoped.

Chris read over the message from Alicia's father. It was a blatant 'no', but a long one at that. Len went on and on, explaining how he and William had gotten into an argument over the prenuptial agreement because it wasn't typically how they were prepared at all. Usually the point was to protect the individual person's assets and properties in case of divorce, not liquidate and hand them over on a silver platter.

Len wrote how he had a very hard time drafting it because of how unfair it was towards Massie, but he knew if he didn't that William would take it to someone else who would underhand her even further. He advised Massie to come to his office prior to the meeting they set to sign the agreement, because he and his associates are currently in the works of drafting up a way to still protect Massie if her and Tristan divorce.

" _Massie, you know I love and care for you like a daughter, which is why I had such a hard time working on this. I can't let you sign this in good consciousness. I cannot alter it, your father was very clear with me. If I did not agree to draft it, however, he was ready to go to another attorney at the Country Club who was ready to underhand you further. I am working with my colleagues on other options for you. Sit tight for now, try and delay the signing if possible. Do not schedule it with my office for another two weeks, if you can. I need to meet with you beforehand. Again, I look at you as a second daughter, and I wouldn't live with myself knowing you were signing away your birthright to someone who wasn't entitled. William cannot know I am underhanding him right now. I will call when I finalize your documents._

 _Best,_

 _Len Rivera._

 _Len Rivera and Associates, PC_

 _The Art of Representing People."_

The email wasn't what bothered Massie. If anything, she was so appreciative of how clear Len was making it that he was trying to protect her. Len was her father's go to attorney for everything. He was on retainer for her father's company, and the only attorney he trusted with any of his personal business. Len treated Massie like a second daughter, that much was true.

What bothered Massie was the fact that here Len Rivera was, acting like more of a father to her than her own. She didn't know or understand where William got off thinking this was moderately okay, or why Kendra went along with it, either. Of course Massie was taken care of in all aspects, she worked for her father and didn't have to worry about money or anything because whether she showed or not in the office, the direct deposit went through every week.

But, the amount of business deals alone Massie closed for William because he and Tristan couldn't? Block Enterprise would be dead in the water without her. She poured her blood, sweat and tears night and day into her father's company to make him proud and make the transition from father to daughter as smooth as possible for them and their employees. To pass it to her fiance, her abusive and morally corrupt fiance who would throw her in the dirt once those papers were signed? It repulsed her that her father actually believed it made any sort of sense.

Sobs continued to escape her body as Chris held the phone out in eye's view for Derrick to read, considering his hands were full of a crying Massie and it looked like she didn't want to go anywhere else any time soon. Derrick shook his head, muttering curses and comments under his breath in response to the email as he smoothed the brunette's hair down and her sobs began to slow.

Derrick continued to soothe her, as Chris excused himself and went into the state of the art kitchen to make some tea for her and coffee for him and Derrick. He knew Derrick thought of tea as dirty bean water, and Chris really needed a caffeine kick right about now. Taking his phone out of his pocket, he replied to a text Dylan had sent him before starting up the Keurig and giving the couple inside a little privacy.

 **Dyl 🔥 : How is everything going?**

 **Chris Plov💙🖱🎮: oh, ya know, not great.**

 **Dyl 🔥 : are they freaking out?**

 **Chris Plov💙🖱🎮: she keeps crying, idk if he even processed it yet tbh**

 **Dyl 🔥 : lmk if you need me and i'll end my session**

 **Chris Plov💙🖱🎮: i will, go teach those broads how to be zen. Love you 3**

Massie blew out a breath of air, letting her cheeks puff out and leaning her head against his shoulder and blinking up at the man in front of her. How many times has he picked her up when she's fallen in her life? And how many times has she done the same for him? It wasn't just luck that they kept coming back to each other, there was a reason why the universe kept pushing them together. It was like the spirits above kept placing bets on 'how long until they realize?'

" _Normally I'd apologize for getting your shirt wet, but I guess I really don't have to this time,"_ Massie suppressed her giggle, biting her lower lip and blinking up at him through her damp eyelashes.

Derrick leaned back on the couch, holding her eye contact as he moved his hands from her shoulders to her lower back. He pulled her by her hips into him, and she moved with him so she was straddling him against the couch. Massie let her arms fall round his neck, tilting her head to the side with a shy smirk as she watched his movements. Derrick stuck his pink tongue out, licking his lower lip slightly before tugging on her hips and making her fall directly into his chest further. He took his left hand and tangled it in her chestnut brown hair, tugging her head up to meet his.

Massie met him halfway, staring into his warm brown eyes before leaning in and kissing his lips softly. It had been so, so long since they had felt this feeling. This fire, these sparks, this electricity that flowed between the two of them was addicting and something they longed for. Derrick kissed her harder, and Massie moaned into his mouth before letting her hands tangle in his curly hair and tug.

She smirked as she heard him moan out of delight, and couldn't help but start letting her own hips grind into his as they continued to kiss. Derrick turned to the left, leaning back so he was now laying on the couch and Massie crawled on top of him, hungry for more of him. She left one hand tugging on his curls, the other exploring his naked chest, toned arms and shoulders like this was the last time she would have the opportunity. Truth be told, she wasn't sure when the next time would be.

" _Hey Mass, I made you Oolong because you didn't have any more Darjeeli-what the hell guys?!"_

The pair broke apart, Derrick panting and Massie brightly blushing as she too tried to steady her breathing. Looking down at Derrick, he gave her a wink and she responded with one of her own and a breathless giggle before turning around to look at Chris' horrified face.

" _God, is this what it feels like to be a parent?! See, I told Dylan to speak for herself! I can't even believe I witnessed that! I'll give you two a minute to collect yourselves, here's your tea. Derrick, I made you and I coffee, I'll bring that in now. Don't start trying to make baby number two while I'm gone, alright? I can't handle two pregnant women in my life."_

" _God, he is so dramatic!"_

Snickering, Derrick let Massie climb off of him and sat up straight. Reaching over onto the coffee table, he picked up Massie's iPhone since his was most likely still in his car, and used her screen as a mirror to attempt to put himself back together.

" _Can I use your shower? I didn't realize how rough I looked when I literally ran here after practice."_

" _Wow, things really haven't changed."_ Massie retorted in a sing-song voice before nodding her head. _"I'll bring you upstairs."_

* * *

After Derrick's shower and Chris went on for another twenty minutes about how Massie and Derrick 'disrespected' him by having such a heated makeout session basically in front of him, it was getting close to the time Tristan and her father was expected back and Massie was not ready to see either of them.

" _Can we go do something? I don't want to be here."_

" _Yeah, let's go grab dinner, maybe? I'm starving."_

" _Yeah, for more than just food. OWWW, WHAT IS WITH YOU AND HOTZ LATELY?"_

" _We expect dumb comments from Kemp, not you." Derrick responded pointedly before tugging his shirt on._

Derrick, Massie and Chris were currently in the kitchen. Derrick was finishing dressing, pulling on his black Rag & Bone henley. He already put on his 7 for all mankind skinny fit medium wash jeans, and Ferragamo suede tan loafers. Grabbing his wallet from the counter and the keys to his BMW, he stuffed it in his jeans pocket and turned to look at Massie and Chris.

" _I'll drive,"_ he offered before the three of them collected the rest of their belongings and left the house.

It was around six pm as Derrick pulled his blacked out BMW x6 into the parking lot of Tuscan Nights, an upscale Italian restaurant three towns over. Massie was craving pasta after not really being able to eat at her engagement party and Chris was no help in terms of wanting to pick a restaurant, so Derrick drove to his favorite restaurant. It also happened to be the restaurant where Massie and he had a lot of their bigger dinners. Birthdays, anniversaries, job opportunities, it all kind of happened here.

As Derrick parked his car, Massie tugged on her grey AQUA twist front cashmere sweater and Levi's mile high ankle skinny jeans in a light wash. She was thankful that she changed out of her sweats in general, and that she dressed her outfit up with a pair of Jimmy Choo Aqua colored Romy heels, considering the restaurant that Derrick chose was upscale. Well, more upscale than the Japanese restaurants her and Chris usually frequent.

Chris climbed out of the backseat as Massie dug on the floor of the passenger seat for her Tory Burch Fleming shoulder bag. Her door was opened by Derrick, who flashed her a grin and waited until she got out before closing the door and again opening the front door to the restaurant for her.

" _Oh, how dreamy, thank you Derrington!"_ Chris fake-swooned, following Massie and pretending he was holding it open for him.

Derrick rolled his eyes and laughed, following the two inside.

* * *

" _If he really thinks he's going to take away your birthright, he has another thing coming. Wouldn't it be a fucking slap in the face if you started working for Harrington Montgomery?"_ Derrick actually laughed at the thought, shaking his head as Massie's amber eyes lit up in flames.

They were each currently nursing a glass of wine, the boys sharing a bottle of a Pinot Noir while Massie had her own bottle of a Sauvignon Blanc. They were currently conversing and plotting over a meat and cheese board, which was Massie's absolute favorite thing in the world to do. It also gave her the best ideas.

" _You marry me, then we merge companies. It's...it's brilliant! It's covered in the agreement, it would be the beginning of an empire!"_

" _Are we really plotting world domination now, Mass?"_ Derrick asked, raising an eyebrow and taking a sip of his wine.

" _I am. You should know I always am."_

" _I never doubted that for a minute, baby. And it makes sense, what you're saying. From a business point, I think a merger would be phenomenal for both you and me, both of our companies, because you know as soon as I'd get the reigns, they'd go right back to you."_

" _This is what I've been saying!"_ Chris grinned in excitement, grabbing a piece of prosciutto and popping it into his mouth.

" _God, I love a good cheese board. It just really gets me going."_

" _I have to agree with you there, Mass."_ Plovert echoed.

" _Block might be impressive now, but when we first started dating? God, she had a horrible taste in food."_

" _Really?"_ Chris asked in disbelief, looking at Massie quizzically.

" _Oh my god Derrick, can we not?"_

" _Like, it was so bad. She wouldn't touch anything that wasn't organically farmed, everything had to be pesticide free and certified as such, she was a psycho."_

" _I mean...she still is…"_

" _Hi, she's sitting RIGHT HERE!"_

" _She also used to put onions on absolutely everything, it was repulsive."_

" _Okay, maybe we can talk about my good qualities once in a while?"_

" _I mean, you looked like a good kisser from what I saw back there…"_

" _How drunk are you, Plovert?"_

" _Drunk enough to order a second bottle if you're into it."_

" _I'm so into it."_

" _You guys can spend the night, it's fine."_

* * *

When Derrick's car pulled into her massive driveway, the headlights illuminated three cars. Chris' latest toy, his red Tesla Roadster 2018, was in plain view parked next to Massie's newest 2018 Audi Q7 SUV in white, and her father's cherished cherry red 1970 Plymouth Superbird. She felt slightly less anxious knowing Tristan had gone back to his apartment, texting her when she was at the restaurant letting her know he was going home from the tournament and planned on calling her later that night. Plus, she triple checked his location to make sure he wasn't at the Blocks.

It wasn't that she didn't want to see him, but she didn't know how he'd react to seeing her with Chris **and** Derrick, and having them both stay over. That part might have pushed Tristan over the edge and back into 'Old Tristan' territory, so what he didn't know wouldn't hurt him for the night.

Climbing out of his BMW, Massie picked her purse up and dug through it for her house keys figuring by now William was asleep so she couldn't expect the door to be unlocked. Once she found her Gucci keychain, she let the boys up the stone stairs and unlocked the double wooden doors before pushing the heavy doors open and entering the threshold.

She was right, William was dead asleep upstairs meaning he'd be gone before the sun rose the next morning. Massie knew that she had kept some random pieces of clothing in her closet the boys could put together, some belonging to them and some just men's sweatshirts or sweatpants she preferred over women's because let's face it - men's clothing is always ten times more comfortable.

Making a pit stop into the kitchen after locking the front door and setting the alarm, Massie had the boys extend their arms and began piling them full of all of her drunk cravings. Chris carried rice cakes, baked lays chips, mini pretzel and Oreo thins up to Massie's bedroom while Derrick followed with an armful of VOSS water bottles and Gatorade's for him and Chris. Massie brought some extra sheets and blankets up behind them, turning down the lights as they went up the stairs.

Once they reached her room, the three deposited their loot like trick or treaters on Halloween night on Massie's pristine plush white carpet. Her bed was big enough for all three to fit in comfortably, but Massie would have them pull out the futon anyway. The girls never had issues sharing a bed before, but if her father came in and saw her in bed with two young men, he'd probably stroke out.

" _Eh ma gawd, does this mean we finally get the exclusive invite for a Massie Block sleepover?"_

" _I think so! Now we get to finally be part of...oh my gawd, Der...THE PRETTY COMMITTEE!"_

" _I hate both of you."_

Massie rolled her amber eyes as she hung her purse up in the coat closet. Boys could be so immature...such, well...boys sometimes. None of them would admit it, but they all could probably drive home safely right now if they wanted to. It's just that none of them wanted to.

Massie was tired of always being alone. Even if Tristan spent the night, she was still technically alone because he wasn't really 'there' for her. She didn't feel the company so to speak. She finally felt whole again last night when all the girls stayed the night.

Derrick sort of felt the same. He wouldn't lie to anyone, he loved living by himself in his penthouse apartment. He could cook whatever he wanted, clean whenever he wanted (or not clean whenever he wanted), he didn't have anyone to answer to besides himself or if any of his friends came over for the night. The apartment itself was perfect, overlooking the Hudson and it was a gorgeous view at night.

Half of him used to lie awake at night staring at his view in his bed, wondering what Massie would've thought of it. He had bought the apartment all according to their plan. Their idea of living together, their life they planned, all of it. Derrick knew she'd love the view, probably hate that the laundry wasn't in his apartment, and would be mildly annoyed with his weed-smoking neighbors who sometimes smoked with Derrick.

Chris and Dylan have been living together for the past two years in a studio apartment on the east side of Westchester County. It was sort of weird, they literally saw less of each other when they started living together. Dylan was so busy at first creating her studio and finalizing plans, and lately Chris has been jumping from startup idea to startup idea, it was hard for either of them to find time for themselves, let alone each other.

The three felt so lonely that tonight was sort of exactly what each of them needed.


	22. chapter twenty one

Massie will fully admit that when she invited Chris and Derrick to spend the night, she did not know what to expect. All she knew was that she was tipsy off of the white wine from the italian restaurant and didn't want to risk them driving home considering they had double what she had. And, she didn't want to be home alone with William after reading the prenuptial agreement. The boys, on the other hand, didn't want to leave Massie alone, for different reasons.

Chris didn't want to let her be by herself because he knew she was especially fragile right now. He knew she was internally heartbroken because of her father's choices, she felt like she was losing everything she had worked for since she was in school and she was right. Chris knew she felt trapped and wanted her to know that she had a way out, and that he would make sure of it, even if it came down to Chris himself marrying her on papers to end this whole thing.

He and Dylan had discussed it, the possibility if Derrick didn't fall through with it. It would be almost like a citizenship wedding - it would last long enough for the papers to be signed, and then they'd end in divorce, or annulment. Dylan was comfortable with it, and she was impressed that Chris cared enough about their friends wellbeing enough to put his ass on the line for her.

Derrick, on the other hand, didn't want her being alone because he wanted all his time to be consumed by her. He was her shoulder to cry on, he wanted to be there for her, to nurture her and cherish her the way she should be nurtured and cherished. He wanted to take care of her and love her and show her what a real man does when he loves someone, not what Tristan has been doing to her, or what he did to her back when they dated in middle school. He wanted to right his wrongs and Tristan's.

Currently, though, Chris and Derrick were bickering as they attempted to pull her futon out of its resting position.

" _I've never pulled out a futon before!"_

" _Do I look like I have?"_

" _What do girls even do at sleepovers?"_

" _Well usually we all share my bed, but I think my father would faint if he came in here and saw me in bed with you two, so…"_

" _Wait, all you girls share a bed?"_ Derrick asked, poking his head up from behind the futon mattress to look at Massie with an amused grin on his face.

" _Yes, you pervert, get the images out of your brain and help Chris with the frame!"_

" _Hey hey hey, I wanna hear about you girls sharing a bed too!"_

" _Oh my god, all men are dogs."_

" _I find that highly offensive."_ Derrick commented as he unlatched the wood.

" _Would you rather be a dog or a pig?"_

" _Probably a dog, at least it could be somewhat endearing. Not like a pomeranian or a chihuahua, though. I'd have to go for a golden, or an irish setter, something bigger and more lovable. Being a pug would be lit only if I was Bean. He lives the life. "_ Chris decided, nodding his head and letting the frame lower to the ground.

" _Have you seen Ariana Grande's mini pig? It's fucking adorable. How could you even say pigs aren't endearing? He has his own instagram page with like fifty times the followers you have, Plov.."_

" _Wow, Derrick Harrington keeping up with his pop culture? I am so impressed."_

" _Color me surprised, I'm impressing Block, did you hear that Plovert?"_

" _Loud and clear! So did my 393 Snapchat followers!"_ He announced before flopping down on the black mattress and smiling smugly as he posted the ten second black and white filtered video clip to his Snapchat story. All of Plovert's stories were black and white, it was his thing and it drove everyone else fucking nuts.

" _Get awf, I need to make the bed still!"_

" _Eh ma gawd, it's back! The voice is back!"_

" _God, you're so annoying. Why did I invite you over again?"_

" _Because you love and miss us both when we aren't around you."_

" _I mean I think that's highly debatable,"_ Massie rolled her amber eyes alongside her swift lie before swatting at him with one of the down feather pillows in her hands. _"Now, get awf so I can make your bed!"_

" _That is so sweet of you, Massikur. I thought you were going to make us sleep on this cold mattress with no pillows or blankets or sheets."_

" _Wanna test me?"_ She asked, raising her perfectly plucked chestnut brown eyebrows and tossing the pillows to the floor so she could prop her hands on her hips.

" _Not really."_ Derrick gulped back a reply.

" _I figured you'd come to your senses."_

* * *

" _So, like...let me play devil's advocate here and just ask this. What if Tristan comes in in a few hours and sees us here? How is that really gonna go over? Is he gonna start throwing shit? Is he going to stay completely calm? Like….I guess, how is he going to act around us when we're technically 'in is space'?"_ Chris prompted the question Derrick had been avoiding asking all night.

The three were currently finally set up in her room, with the 4k HD flat screen TV mounted on the wall showing a queue they set up of netflix originals. Massie was in her bed and the boys were sharing their futon, and all three were drunk-snacking on their treasures brought up from when they first arrived and rummaged through the kitchen on their way into the house.

" _Firstly, this isn't 'his space', it's my bedroom, it's my home."_

" _You know what I mean, Mass. We're sleeping in the bedroom of his fiance. He and William are going to react very differently to this, you know that."_

And Massie did know this. She wasn't stupid, neither were the boys and they all knew the risks of sharing her room tonight but at the same time Massie was so fucking tired of feeling like she couldn't just enjoy her friends or enjoy her own bedroom or her own home anymore. Like, how sick is that? Coming home to your solstice, your place of refuge that just...isn't yours anymore? What else did Massie have to look forward to than her bedroom and the pug currently snuggling into her custom down-filled doggy bed at the foot of Massie's California King mattress?

" _Look, you both are here. He's very logical, Tristan, very calculating even if he doesn't seem to make any sense in what he does. He wouldn't do anything, not in front of you, at least. The damage in his mind is done so to speak, like you already slept in my room. He wouldn't let you see him freak either, like he wouldn't throw things or any of that, he'd just be calm about it and leave and then flip out when we're alone. But he wouldn't come by until after work, so he won't be here until late tomorrow."_

" _I guess that makes me feel better."_ Derrick replied dryly.

" _Look, I don't think he'll ever be okay with you and me being around each other, he just won't. Chris and I are different, he likes Chris and he knows we're totally platonic."_

" _Unless things fall through."_

" _What do you mean?"_ Massie and Derrick both asked at the same time, turning their attention to Chris.

" _Dyl and I spoke about this. If for some reason Derrick can't go through with it, whether his family gets involved or whatever may happen that throws a wrench in this...I'd basically do a citizenship wedding, in a way? Obviously we'd stay married as long as we had to, legally, but that would be it, then we'd get annulled or divorced or whatever we had to. I just want you away from him, so if something happens...I don't have a problem stepping up, is what I'm saying."_

Christopher Plovert, for growing up in a house full of sisters, was not one to talk about his feelings. His face was already bright red, his cheeks felt hot and his skin was itchy to the touch but he wanted to make sure Massie knew he was serious about this.

He maintained his eye contact with her and Derrick the entire time, and couldn't tell if Derrick wanted to kill him or not, but he figured he'd handle that later. Right now, his concern was the girl in front of him who weeks ago was so close to losing herself again for another boy who didn't deserve it.

Derrick being the first boy to trigger it, then there was Landon Crane, and after Massie had a few flings throughout high school with random Ralph Lauren wearing boys who broke her heart and publicized it. Chris helped as much as he could, but he finally felt like now he had a chance to really step up and if the situation presented itself he wasn't going to hesitate.

" _You'd really do that for me?"_ It didn't come out louder than a squeak. God, Massie, could you be any more emotional lately? Someone remind her to change her birth control prescription, this was so not okay.

" _I would. And I will, if it's your way out of this, Massie."_

" _Thank you, Chris."_

" _You don't have to thank me. I should've done more when we were younger, I know that, but I didn't because I was wrapped up in my own issues and my own identity. You're important to me and Dylan and the two of us will do whatever has to happen to fix this, whatever we're able to do."_

* * *

" _My my my, let me just say that eight years ago I expected to wake up and find boys spending the night in my daughter's bedroom. Now, though, I'm at least happy with the ones she chose."_

Massie, Chris, and Derrick were seated at the Block's breakfast bar where her staff had laid out a plethora of breakfast items. There was strawberry cream cheese stuffed french toast, scrambled eggs with shredded cheddar cheese, blueberry apple and banana smoothies, and a fruit platter made up of cut watermelon pieces, strawberries, kiwis, raspberries and mangos. Usually Massie just took a breakfast bar and a black iced coffee to go, so her staff was excited to get to actually cook some semblance of a meal for the week.

" _You know, Daddy, you don't have to do this whole intimidation thing. It's kind of overbearing."_

" _It's a compliment!"_

" _Well thank you, sir, and thank you for letting us stay the night."_

" _Anytime, Christopher. How is your father, Derrick?"_

" _He's good, he's good. How is Kendra doing?"_

" _She's great, busy as always what with the wedding and all."_

" _I believe it, sir."_

" _How are your parents, Christopher?"_

" _Oh you know, busy with my little sister. She just got accepted into Duke, so they're going crazy with party planning and dorm room ideas and graduate school already. She's not even eighteen yet, I swear they try to age us so quickly."_

" _They just want to make sure you all make the best of your time in college, I'm sure."_

" _Oh, I'm sure their intentions are great. But, she's not even finished with her senior year of high school yet. I feel like she's getting more and more pressure from both our parents and Westchester Prep to finish quicker, work harder. I'm not sure how we did it way back then."_

" _You know, it's funny. Way back when Massie first brought you both home, I never expected to be sitting here with you both. You both grew up and matured very nicely, and I'm very happy she's spending time with such mild-mannered men."_

" _Thank you, Mr. Block."_

" _You can call me William, both of you."_

" _God, Dad, come on."_

" _Bill is fine."_

 _"Dad!"_

* * *

Leaning back in his Perigold High-Back Leather Stuffed Executive chair at his desk, Derrick blew out a puff of air and pressed his left palm against the cold marble top of his desk as his right hand scrolled through his emails. Most of the time, secretaries managed emails but he refused to allow anyone access to such important information.

For Derrick, majority of the emails he received was confidential and he had seen from a young age how quick secretaries, office assistants and even other employees were to sell you down the river for a quick buck from competitors in the industry and he refused to fall into the same traps as his father.

As he read over terms and conditions for one of the new business ventures his father's attorney sent over earlier that morning, his iMessage popped up in the upper right corner of his iMac and his eyes drifted to the message block.

 **Plov: hey man**

 **Plov: i hope i didn't put you on the spot at massie's**

 **Plov: i just want her knowing she isn't stuck if something ends up falling shrot on your end**

 **Plov: **short**

 **Derrick: I know, and thank you for that**

 **Derrick: We bth want whats best for her, you know that**

 **Derrick: I don't know how my parents will react, but I know I'm not backing out**

 **Derrick: but it's comforting to know if something does happen you're there**

 **Plov: ofc**

 **Plov: she's like a sister**

 **Plov: a fourth sister god help me pls**

 **Derrick: HA**

Moving to the right of his desk, his fingers punched in a few numbers before picking up his telephone line and getting Alicia's father on the phone. After discussing business for a few minutes, he asked to set up a private meeting in his office this week with him, Massie, and Len. Derrick knew the two of them had to get the ball rolling so that they were ahead of the game when the other shoe started to drop.

Once he hung up the phone with Len, he speed-dialed Massie.

" _Hey_ ," she said breathlessly.

" _Bad time to talk?"_

" _No no, I'm just on the treadmill sending emails, what's up?"_

" _You don't stop working, do you?"_

" _Are you not reading emails while you're talking to me?"_

" _Touche."_

" _We're both workaholics and micromanage the shit out of everyone, come on now."_

" _You're right, you're right."_

" _So what's up?"_

" _How does Thursday at seven work for you? Len is going to be at my office to meet us and go over some terms and contracts."_

" _Oh wow, so soon?"_

" _I think we have to, Mass. We need to know what we're up against and this way it's at my office so no one's going to know or be suspicious. The office closes at four, so we'll be set with that. I just want to make sure we have everything in order before things start moving."_

" _I agree. I'm still in shock from what Chris said, what he offered to do for me."_ Massie spoke as she lowered her incline on the treadmill, raising her forearm and dabbing her sweat off of her forehead.

" _Honestly? I am too. But that's also the guy he is, you know that."_

" _I do, I do. I just… you know him and Dyl want to get married, like, soon. So, to even offer to put that on hold for me is like so shocking and it just...it means a lot to me."_

" _I'm really impressed by the offer too. I just...I don't think we're going to need it, I really don't see any issues, but if something arises it's nice to know we have someone like Chris here to help, who won't try to steal you away."_

Derrick grinned, hearing Massie's giggle on the other line. He knew the two of them couldn't be very public about their affection, it would be detrimental to both of them if news got outside of their inner circle. He wasn't sure how surprised Westchester's Elite would be when the news finally broke, considering how many of them always assumed the two would find their way back and how according to his father, Tristan was not well liked.

Tristan Montgomery was an outsider, as far as anyone else saw him. After the stunts he pulled at the party, that much was clear. William had a lot of work to do with Tristan, but if Derrick could help it, he wouldn't have to.

" _Mass, when are you gonna tell him?"_

" _I haven't decided."_

" _You need to, soon."_

" _How do I even tell him?"_

" _He's your father, you can't tell me you don't know how to talk to him."_

" _Not about something like this, not when Tristan thinks he has such a hold over him. I can't be sure how my dad's going to react, if he's going to even believe me or if he'll question Tristan and if Tristan denies it then William might just think I'm lying because I'm scared or something about cold feet."_

" _Do you think that's how it'll go?"_

" _I think it could go one of two ways. He could believe me and freak out, calling the whole thing off and resolving our problem…"_

For some reason, the sound of that made Derrick's stomach fall.

" _Or, he could believe Tristan denying it and think I'm trying to back out for cold feet or nerves and try to make me go through with it. I really am not sure, Der."_

" _Either way, we have our answer, but sooner or later you're going to have to rip the bandaid off. If you want me there, I'll be there."_

" _I think I have to do this alone."_

" _I respect that."_

" _I just can't promise it's going to be soon."_

" _Mass."_

" _Der."_

" _You can't put this off for much longer."_

" _Can we see what happens Thursday? See what he says to do, I trust his judgment."_

" _Fine."_

" _You know you aren't mad, so don't pretend to be."_

" _I'm just saying, you can't keep putting this off. Hey, someone's knocking on my door, I'll call you back later, okay?"_

" _Okay, bye Derrick."_

" _Bye b-Massie."_


	23. chapter twenty two

Massie closed her now-dull amber eyes, opened them again, then closed them once more. She was in pure disbelief of what was in front of her. Why had no one told her about this? Her brain quickly pulled up a list of people she was going to fire, number one and two being her parents.

She had just gotten home from the salon, needing a good talk with Jakkob and a fresh cut and glaze. Her new acrylics were painted Essie Hi Maintenance, and she even had her eyebrows waxed. Massie hoped by looking like a new person, she'd feel like her old self. Powerful, independent, on top of the fucking world Massie Elizabeth Block.

Unfortunately, as her chestnut brown layered hair glimmered in the lights of the Block Estate foyer, all she felt like was a mess of a girl pretending to be someone else, oh - with a caffeine rush, too. Standing in a pair of rag and bone mom jeans, her furry black gucci slippers and a blanc noir dip dye black and white sweater, she was dressed the most like herself but still felt so, so wrong.

Now, Tristan stood in the middle of her foyer were a special shade of lavender roses in his arms, a cat-like grin on his lips, and floral arrangements of the same shade labeled by the same florist all around where he was standing. That special shade of lavender was branded by a certain florist in lower manhattan called Belle Fleurs who costs an arm and a leg to obtain. You need to be in the inner circle of New York Socialites, and have the black american express card to show it.

" _I really hope you love them, Mass."_ Tristan began to say. " _I know you've been feeling under-loved and appreciated lately, and that I haven't been around to spend as much time with you."_

 _False_ , Massie thought to herself. _I've been relieved I don't have to spend time with you right now, not while my life is a mess, I'm currently borderline hooking up with my high school and childhood crush, and oh yeah he and Chris slept over last night and the maids are currently cleaning my sheets and the room from that escapade._

" _Which is why I went into Manhattan to get you these. There's more in your room." Great…_

 _"I just don't want you feeling under-appreciated, baby. I love you a lot and just wanted to show_

 _you in a gesture you'd appreciate. Your dad has been working me hard lately, showing me all I need to know about the company, but I promise I'm still here for you and us."_

" _I….I don't even know what to say, Tristan."_ Massie gave a breathless appearance to show she was overwhelmed as her eyes floated round the room once more. For fucks sake, can he do nothing out of pure appearance? Now my parents really won't believe me when I tell them what kind of monster you turn into.

" _Just say you'll meet me for dinner, tonight. Around 8?"_

" _Works for me, I'll see you then?"_

" _Yes, I have to run to the office. William says we have a big day ahead. Here, babe."_ Tristan handed her the bouquets in his hands, pressing a kiss to her cheek before grabbing his car keys and walking out the front door.

" _Oh wow, did someone die?"_ William asked, walking in from the kitchen and examining all the floral arrangements in the room.

" _Aren't you supposed to be going to the office?"_ Massie asked her father, examining his outfit choice of the day which was...pajamas and a robe?

" _No, no honey the office is closed today. Are you feeling alright?"_

" _Just a little dizzy, is all. Maybe low blood sugar. I'm gonna go get a smoothie,"_ Masie murmured, handing her father her bouquet and turning right around. She walked down the stone steps of the estate, seeing Tristan's reverse lights in the distance and immediately got into her car.

* * *

" _What do you mean he's lying?"_ Alicia asked, her voice echoing through the speaker in Massie's car.

" _He said my dad told him it's a busy day at the office today. My dad came in like a minute after Tristan left and said the office is closed."_

" _What do you think he's trying to hide?"_

" _Whatever it is, it's something that lasts all day so I'm highkey suspicious but I can't follow him in my car."_

" _Come take mine, I'll come with you. Should we have someone with us in case?"_

" _You decide who you wanna call, I'm ten minutes from your house Leesh."_

When Massie reached Alicia and Josh's spanish style villa, she saw Alicia leaning against her car with her arms over her belly in a protective manner talking to Derrick. Huh, you really thought he was the best idea, Leesh?

She pulled into the long driveway as normal, parking her car so it was hidden by the massive trees in the yard and if Tristan was looking for her, he'd have to get through their security gate to find her car.

" _You know, Block, I'm still offended you didn't call me first."_ Derrick feigned sadness, pouting his full lips red from the cold as he stood in a black burberry track jacket, dolce and gabbana black printed joggers and a pair of black vince chunky trainer shoes.

" _Guess you won't be able to call me that for much longer, huh?"_ Massie teased, handing him her beige medium burberry slouched leather hobo bag and wrapping Alicia up in a hug. Alicia was wearing a draper james a-line chambray denim dress, a pair of schutz black leather studded booties and had a baby blue chloe leather crossbody on her left shoulder.

" _Leesh! How's my god baby?"_

" _Ugh, being annoying and making me pee like you would not believe."_

" _Sounds exactly like something you and Josh would create,"_ Derrick said, hoisting Massie's purse on his shoulder and wrapping the two of them in his arms. Massie hated to admit how safe she felt in his embrace, and Alicia knew right away but wouldn't mention it until later.

" _Alright, love bugs, let's get this show on the road."_ Josh called out as he locked the front door, waving goodbye to their butler before coming down the stairs and unlocking his matte black range rover.

" _Joshy!"_ Derrick exclaimed in a high-pitch voice, imitating Massie as he ran in the most girly fashion to hug Josh.

" _Derr_!" Josh squealed, clapping his hands and hugging him back. Josh was wearing a white AMI logo tee shirt, a pair of AG dark wash jeans and a pair of john varvatos grey suede booties.

" _Can we get this show on the road?_ " Alicia said in a very deep voice, trying to imitate Josh as she pulled open the passenger door impatiently.

* * *

" _So is there like...a plan here?"_ Josh asked as he was driving down the winding side roads he usually took to the Block's office.

He wasn't filled in very much these days because of his crazy shooting schedule, so he really relied on Alicia for most details which proved to be a bad idea when she told him twenty minutes ago that Massie and Derrick were going to get married to 'stick it to Will.' Her words, not his.

" _We're going to go to the office first, see if his car is in the parking lot, and then go from there."_ Alicia replied very matter-of-factly, turning to look behind her at Massie and Derrick in the back seats.

Massie was sitting on the left side, Derrick on the right who was currently holding her hand and rubbing small circles into her soft skin as Massie murmured into his ear. She looked beautiful, but entirely too exhausted to keep this charade up. Derrick had a consoling look on his face, her head was on his shoulder and his chin was on top of her head.

" _So why did no one tell me you two were getting married? Here I am looking like a jackass for not getting you two a wedding gift!"_ Josh bantered, hoping to liven up the car's environment as he came to a stoplight and looked at the pair through his dior homme square sunglasses.

" _I mean, in all fairness, this idea was created like...two days ago."_

" _Still! If I'm not best man, I'm slicing off your balls, Harrington."_

" _Yeah yeah yeah, Hotz. You know it'll be you."_

" _So we are getting married, huh."_ Massie finally said it out loud, coming to the realization that really none of their other plans will work. William will still not believe her, he'll see Tristan as a fine young gentleman, and she'll be stuck unless she marries someone else.

" _Yeah, I mean you were there when we made the plan, Block...cold feet?"_ It was hard to ignore the sound of pain in Derrick's statement. Alicia and Josh winced at the sound, while Massie chewed on her lower lip as she looked at him.

" _No, I don't have cold feet about marrying you. Unfortunately, it's been my plan since I was ten and were entirely too toxic. But alas, now it'll work I suppose."_

" _Oh, that's cool."_

" _You can stop pretending to have no feelings any time now, Harrington."_

" _Shut up, Alicia."_

" _She's just speaking the truth, Derrick. Don't forget to tell Massie all about that box in your bedroom now."_

" _Hotz!"_

" _What box?"_ Massie asked, now curious as she examined Derrick's body language.

" _No box."_

" _We're here! And by the looks of it, so is Mr. Montgomery, southern douchebag at your service."_

Derrick watched as Massie peered out the window and saw her face change as her eyes landed on Tristan's car. Even though he treated her terribly, Derrick would bet it still stung being lied to by him. He had a feeling deep down that Massie really wished it all could've worked out, which was so sick and twisted considering what was going on behind closed doors the entire time.

But, who was he to talk? He was a terrible boyfriend and enemy and person in general to her when they dated in the past. He loved her back then, but through his parents he was taught to use the ones you love to get where you want to be. Derrick had learned all his past toxic behavior from them, and it ruined his relationship with Massie.

He hoped now he'd have the chance to make it up to her.

" _So….are we going to go inside?"_ Alicia asked, looking at Massie as she was still staring at the car in the parking lot.

" _Yeah, I am."_

" _No, you're not."_ Derrick shook his head and unbuckled his seatbelt.

" _And why not?!"_

" _Because he'll see you spying on him and put two and two together and probably make your dad do some crazy shit like move the wedding closer, or hurt you more through his negotiations and dealings. Absolutely not. I'm going in, because he won't expect me to be coming in."_

" _Me too, Alicia take the wheel alright?"_

" _Okay. Be safe, you two."_ Josh put the car into park in one of the parking spots and he and Derrick hopped out. Alicia took the front seat and Massie stayed hidden in the back in case Tristan came outside.

* * *

Derrick and Josh walked around the first and second floor, and all the offices were closed or dark and quiet. They both felt it was eerily quiet, and felt somewhat defeated as they made it into the elevator.

" _Maybe he just parked here and took an Uber?"_

" _I say we do one more floor, then leave."_

" _Alright, third it is."_

As the elevator quietly opened, Josh was about to speak before Derrick hushed him.

" _Do you hear that?"_

" _Hear what?"_

" _Is that...moaning?"_

Derrick and Josh tiptoed around the corner, following the noises they heard. It sounded like something hitting a desk, fists being slammed onto wooden table tops and smelled like pot in the air. They began to crawl as they got closer to the noise, so that whoever was inside the only office that had a light on wouldn't see them.

Josh and Derrick exchanged glances before slowly peering inside the fogged up window, and Josh almost threw up while Derrick almost threw fists.

Tristan Montgomery was in Massie Block's office, with his assistant on Massie's desk fully nude. They were smoking, there were pills scattered on the floor and table top, and he was taking his sweet time with Tracy, the assistant.

Quickly, the pair crawled away and once out of ear-shot ran down the stairs two at a time. Once on the ground level, Josh looked at Derrick for the first time since seeing the incident and all he saw was red.

" _That fucking scumbag."_ He spat on the ground, wiping his mouth with his sleeve.

" _How are we gonna tell her?"_ Josh asked as they got out of the office building and began walking toward where the Range Rover was waiting.

" _Dude, I have to. It's in her fucking office, too! She's going to be destroyed. I….I totally forgot, too, but I had gotten a phone call about two weeks ago. Super sketchy, telling me that I was going to find out the truth. They said they had information for me and in time, I'll find out the truth. I didn't tell anyone, but...maybe it was Tracy?"_

" _It could have been another assistant who knows about this all, too. That he's a drug addict, sex addict, the list goes on now doesn't it?"_

" _I can't lie to her, Josh."_

" _I know that."_

" _I love her, Josh."_

" _I know that."_

* * *

When both boys got back in the car, their faces were flushed and Josh was out of breath from the sprinting down the stairs and to the range rover.

" _Damn it, Harrington, you need to start training me again."_

" _Will do, J."_

" _Did you find him?"_ Massie and Alicia asked at the same time, echoes of each other.

The entire time they were waiting in the car, Massie and Alicia were a bundle of nerves. They all knew what Tristan was capable of, and both of them were nervous about the boys going in there alone. Massie and Alicia tried to distract themselves, talking about names for the baby and Alicia's hopes for a girl even though Josh really wants a boy. How Alicia would be happy with whatever it turns out being as long as it's healthy, but she really wants a girl because she can dress her up like a mini-Alicia.

Alicia called Massie out, saying how if you really love someone like she loves Derrick that she can't be sharing that love with someone she only tolerates like Tristan. Massie tried to deny that she loved Derrick, but knew in her heart she couldn't deny that she loved him because it consumed her. With Derrick, she always felt like the Massie she used to be. The one with the confidence, with the whole world in the palm of her hand and the knowledge that she's the head bitch in charge and no one can try to take that away.

Massie will be first to admit that in Alicia's pregnancy, she has definitely gained some sort of wisdom she never had before.

Looking at Derrick's face full of anger and fists not bloodied, and Josh's eyes darting around because he can't figure out what to look at first and what to say first, Massie knew they had found him inside.

" _Is someone going to say something?!"_ Alicia questioned as the boys climbed into their respected seats in the range rover and Josh told Alicia to drive away, she did as he asked but once they got to the first stoplight and no one spoke she slammed on the breaks.

" _LEESH!"_

" _Fucking I swear to Christ Joshua, tell me or I will not move this fucking car."_

" _He's cheating on you, Massie."_

Josh's statement echoed through the car as everyone fell silent. Alicia gasped, looking at Massie in the rearview mirror knowing Massie eight years ago would've fallen to her knees in defeat at the thought. Now, though, this Massie was calm and cool and collected, her face gave nothing away.

" _What was going on in there?"_ Her voice was strong and levelled, which surprised the shit out of the other three in the car. Derrick just looked at her in disbelief before speaking for the first time.

" _They're in your office, him and Tracy. There's pills everywhere, there's joints and bottles of God knows what. It's dirty and disgusting and I almost put my fist through his skull."_

" _Okay."_

" _That's it?"_ Alicia asked, turning her head to give Massie a look before the light turned green. " _What are you going to do about it, M?"_

" _We are all going to go get a smoothie because I'm not a liar and told my dad what is what I'm doing. Then, we are going to go pick out all new office furniture and charge it to the company card. I'm condemning that office first thing tomorrow morning."_

" _Are you going to tell him?"_ Josh asked, his voice sounding like it was waiving in and out.

" _No, I'm going to let him figure out that I know, and make him so fucking guilty that he doesn't have a choice but to tell me."_

" _You really think now guilt tripping is going to work, babe?"_ Derrick asked curiously, considering that this monster of a man has done all of this and worse before and never felt bad for any of his behavior.

" _If it doesn't, he's getting fired."_

" _Oh, shit."_

" _From the company, and from my life."_


	24. chapter twenty three

_Yeah, if I could go back to the day we met_

 _I probably would just stay in bed_

 _You run your mouth all over town_

 _And this one goes out to the sound_

 _Of breaking glass on my Range Rover_

 _Pay me back or bitch, it's over_

 _All the presents I would send_

 _Fuck my friends behind my shoulder_

 _Next time I'mma stay asleep_

 _I pray the Lord my soul to keep, oh_

* * *

If you asked Massie for a list of her lifelong regrets, it would look something like this:

Letting Alicia's cousin Nina into her friend group/mind for a split second. She was out of season faster than Coach.

Being so mean to Claire. She doesn't regret it currently, seeing how Claire acted at Alicia's wedding, but she always felt so bad...until then. Everyone finally saw Claire as the social-ladder climbing snake she always had been, it just took longer than she wanted for people to see through the act.

Playing so many toxic games with Derrington. Maybe if she didn't, she wouldn't be in the position she currently was in. She knew she loved him from such a young age, she should've just capitalized and made things work rather than push him away and try finding love in other douchebags.

Ever getting involved with Tristan. His pretty face wasn't and still isn't worth his bad attitude, rotten demeanor, horrible treatment to Massie and his god awful poor social skills.

Currently, though, she was telling her contractor that her biggest regret was leaving the popcorn ceiling and dark blue walls up in her office. Standing with her arms crossed over her baby blue natori silk cami-clad chest, she watched as the contractor's staff were taking measurements around her office. Her cami was tucked into a tweed-print fringe linen mini skirt, and she had a black faux fur trimmed cardigan over her shoulders.

Massie tapped the toe of her white Alexander Wang pumps against the tiled floors, listening as the contractor Andrew drawled on and on about why she should be more picky with the infrastructure right now and not the decorative details.

" _You want picky? Okay. I want unfinished french oak flooring, I want my desk to be elevated on a platform, and I want a safe built into the flooring in the back right corner of the room. I want three of the walls to be painted Behr Pink Mirage, and the wall behind my desk to be Air Castle. I want thick white crown molding, white storage cabinets built into the walls and frosted french doors to hide them with a white trim as well. I want cameras in every inch of this room, a cathedral ceiling and I wanted this yesterday."_

" _Alright, ma'am."_

" _So get to work."_

She had decided last night that she was going to redo her office, and let Tristan sweat it out for a bit first. Massie didn't tell her father or Tristan, just had the contractors show up the next morning. She wasn't going to be direct - yet, that would wait until he was ready to crack and she could make him shatter as a whole.

Massie had the utilities team remove all of the furniture and put it into storage for the company in the basement. Let some other sad sack of a human being decide they want that desk. Not that there was anything wrong with it really, but it was now soiled in her mind and she refused to see past that.

Besides, Mary at The Pottery Barn was having new furniture delivered next week for Massie's new office and she decided she was going to do things her way for a change. No more letting her father make her decisions, no more letting Tristan think he made them for her. It was hers, and no one could stop her.

Of course, it was only convenient that William and Tristan were out on a business trip and wouldn't return until tuesday. This gave Massie some time to relax and unwind and do things the way she wanted with no interruptions and no remarks from unwanted solicitors.

Shaking the contractor's hand, Massie dismissed him as her iPhone buzzed in her hand. Without looking at the caller ID, she immediately answered the call blindly.

" _Hello?"_

" _Hard at work at the office Mass?"_

" _Ugh, you could say that. The contractor just left, he said there should be no problem with this being ready and usable by monday but I'm getting a tension headache."_

" _You need to relax for the week, babe. Your dad's gone, so is Tristan. You can take some time off, you know."_

" _I don't even know how to do that, Der."_ Massie let out a long sigh, shaking her head and rubbing at her temples. " _I think I'm going to head home and try to nap it off though. If not, a sumatriptan will do the work for me."_

" _Have you been sleeping?"_ Derrick asked, his voice dripping with concern so much so that it made Massie's insides warm up almost immediately.

" _No._ " She answered honestly because at this rate, she had nothing to hide from Derrick Harrington. He knew her deepest and darkest secrets from the age of ten, he was her rock right now and she knew he'd always protect her regardless of the situation.

" _I have two meetings, one weekly debriefing with my company then I have to be at Manhattanville by 1, so after that I'll come over okay?"_ Derrick took a sip of his hot pike place coffee from Starbucks his assistant had dropped off ten minutes ago as he gathered his papers for the meeting down the hall.

" _Yeah, that's fine. I'll probably be….well, you know."_

" _I know. I'll text you, I'm going to the board room right now."_

" _Kay."_

" _Mass?"_

" _Yeah?"_

" _I love you. We're going to get through this, I promise."_

" _I hope you're right."_

* * *

Massie blew out a puff of smoke from her juul, tossing it onto her nightstand and taking delight in the soft thump it made. She only used it during emergencies - or what she considered emergencies to consist of. Currently she had a dab cartridge in it, so each puff was helping her relax further and further but she couldn't shake her now migraine still.

Her white pumps were laying down sideways on her fluffy cream colored carpet, and her thin body was being swallowed by her fuzzy blankets and pillows she definitely didn't need but was thankful to have when she needed to feel comfort on her own.

Her hair was pulled into a messy bun on the top of her head, her chef had made her some green smoothie filled to the brim with ingredients she thought would cure her headache and mild depression, but for some reason Massie couldn't stand to look at it.

The brunette had only one other option to relax, and that was by using the pills Tristan had gotten his doctor-brother to write for her during her intense bouts of anxiety attacks two years ago. She had sworn off of them because she hated feeling so dependent on medication, but the more she stared at the small orange and white bottle, the more she was ready to cave.

A knock at her bedroom door shook her out of her thoughts. She shot her head to the tv she had on mute that displayed '3:22 PM' on the screen and raised an eyebrow. What a random time for visitors, she thought to herself as she attempted to stand. Massie's eyes were glazed back, her balance was off due to the weed cartridges. Her outfit currently consisted of an old long sleeve shirt that had Derrick's high school soccer number on it and a pair of lululemon black yoga pants with a tall pair of fuzzy socks.

Stumbling to her bedroom door in confusion because she was told she had the house to herself until Tuesday when her father and Tristan returned from their business trip while Kendra has been in Connecticut at art exhibits until next Sunday. Massie hesitantly opened her bedroom door but blew out a sigh of relief when she saw Derrick standing there holding his blazer over his shoulder.

" _Who did you think was coming for you, the boogeyman?"_

" _It is Westchester after all, the wicked witch is bound to show her face at some point."_

" _Oh Massie, don't talk about your mother like that,"_ Derrick scolded, leaning down and pressing a kiss to her lips before coming inside.

After he came in and she shut the door, he set his blazer and shoes by her desk. Taking off his rolex and sitting it on the desktop while Massie got comfortable once again in her california king bed, he soon followed her to the bed but before he climbed in two things caught his attention.

The first was the pill bottle sitting on her nightstand. He picked it up before she could protest, and stared at the writing until it all blended together in his line of sight. He turned to look at her, and saw how glossy and glazed her eyes were. Lifting the juul and taking a hit of it, he coughed and tossed it back down before giving Massie a look.

" _What the fuck, Mass?"_

" _I've been stressed."_

" _And this is how you're coping?"_

" _I haven't been able to sleep in a week. I sleep like two hours, then spend the rest of the night tossing and turning and praying it'll be morning."_

" _Mass, what's with the ativan? How did you even get these?"_ Derrick's voice raised higher with every word, shaking the prescription bottle for emphasis. This was the Derrick that old Massie always hated, she always felt like he was being a second father to her instead of a boyfriend and some things don't change.

" _They're prescription."_

" _Who the fuck prescribed you it Massie? Who in their right mind would give you this?! This isn't what you need for anxiety, it's just forming dependencies for you!"_

" _Dr. Montgomery."_ Massie winced a little at the sound, anticipating the meltdown that was going to happen now.

" _His fuckin' brother is prescribing you drugs?! What a gem, babe, really."_

" _He hasn't in a while! These are from, like, a year or two ago, Derrick."_

" _Doesn't matter! They're clearly still in your mindset if you kept them!"_

" _Derrick, don't give me this attitude when you have absolutely no clue what I went through ALONE the past two years at least!"_

" _No, I don't, but I'm trying to do everything in my power to change it and you're sitting here swallowing Lorazepam?!"_

" _Shut up! Shhhh! No one else needs to hear us, dad."_

" _Don't dad me, Massie, when I'm the only one who is trying to help you here."_

" _Oh my god, how offensive!"_

" _You know, I really can see why no one has ever tried. You're impossible when you think you're right, or when you're high."_

Massie blinked once, twice, three times and assumed he was going to leave. Instead, he took off his belt and laid it on her desk chair before moving towards the bed and climbing into bed with her. She shifted over, giving Derrick more room as he got comfortable under her comforter and blankets. Derrick wrapped his toned arms around her small frame, pulling her closer as her hazy mindset got the best of her.

" _I'm not going to give up on you, Mass, but you have got to let go of those things. For your own safety. What if he came in here right now while you're high as a kite? Do you think he'd take care of you? Watch out for you? Or would he use you in your altered state of mind?"_ Derrick asked softly into her left ear, pressing a soft kiss to her forehead and leaning back against her pillows.

" _I know, I know. I just...Derrick I need to relax a little, you said it on the phone earlier. I haven't slept in so long I'm going crazy. I have migraines every day and they're driving me out of my mind. I don't even remember what it was like to have a good day or a good night's sleep anymore."_

" _You're also starving yourself with all this slimy green crap, that isn't going to help you either."_

" _I know."_

" _C'mere, let's lay down alright? I'll make a real dinner for you later. For now, let's try to get you to sleep a little."_

* * *

That day, Massie slept through dinner, through dessert, and through a midnight snack. Derrick being there and holding her throughout the night gave Massie the comfort she so severely lacked so that she was finally able to sleep peacefully for one night. It was about eight in the morning when she finally awoke, yawning and rubbing her eyes before looking around in confusion because she couldn't remember what happened the night before to get her so calm and sleepy.

Looking around in confusion, the first thing she noticed was Derrick's sleepy eyes staring down at her. Massie blushed, knowing how un-put together she must look right now and buried her head back into her comforter and pillows.

" _Hey, don't do that."_ His groggy morning voice kicked in, and he took the comforter off of her face and cupped her chin in his hand. _"You're always so beautiful to me, this is the Massie I love best. How did you sleep?"_

" _I slept the best I have since...I don't even remember, to be honest. I think I really need you here, Derrick. I don't have my sanity or clarity when I'm not with you. You put me at peace, I rest with you, it's something that feels so familiar and warm and just comforting all in one."_

" _I'm glad to hear that, I really am. I'm happy I can give you all that."_

" _Can we stay at your place the rest of the week? I don't want to be here, it just...I don't feel safe here anymore."_ She whispered, blinking the sleep out of her eyes.

" _I actually had something better planned before your high pain-in-the-ass ruined it last night. We can do that, though, if you'd rather."_

" _I don't need anything fancy. I just want a few nights in your arms, that's all. As many as I can get before people start getting suspicious."_

" _In that case, pack your bags, madame."_

Massie smiled brightly up at him, feeling rested for the first time in over a year. Her head felt clear and light, there was no pressure or weight on her shoulders or in her stomach. She felt like she was finally free, finally happy to be herself and not worry or doubt what's in her own heart. Nodding, Massie climbed out of bed in excitement after kissing his lips gently and went into her walk-in closet to grab a few of her duffels.


	25. chapter twenty four

_I'm a sucker for you_

 _You say the word and I'll go anywhere blindly_

 _I'm a sucker for you, yeah_

 _Any road you take, you know that you'll find me_

 _I'm a sucker for all the subliminal things_

 _No one knows about you (about you) about you (about you)_

 _And you're making the typical me break my typical rules_

 _It's true, I'm a sucker for you, yeah_

* * *

" _You must've packed enough outfits for a month, Mass!"_

" _You never know what I might need!"_

" _Yeah, but you don't have to carry them all!"_ Derrick huffed, shoving the remaining longchamp duffels into the trunk of his audi and rolling his eyes to himself even though he knew he wouldn't want it any other way.

It had taken Massie about forty five minutes to pack what she deemed necessary for a week long trip. Derrick wasn't surprised in the slightest, he just was happy she was so interested in going away somewhere at the drop of a hat. He had booked them a short little vacation where the two could get off of the grid for a little and unwind. Tristan and William being out for their golf tournament with their clients in eastern Connecticut made it even easier.

Once he had all of her luggage in his car, Derrick hopped into the drivers seat while Massie fiddled with the bluetooth audio on his car's touch screen radio. Humming to herself, she finally got her iPhone to connect as Derrick began zipping down the streets of Westchester to stop at his penthouse apartment and grab his own bags.

" _Do NOT play the Jonas Brothers again, please."_

" _Uhm, excuse me?"_

" _I've heard it so many times with you the past week, Block."_

" _Because it's a fucking JAM!"_

" _Oh my god."_

" _Can we get Starbucks before we go?"_

" _I already regret booking this."_

" _Where are we going?"_

" _If I told you it wouldn't be a surprise."_

" _When will we get there?"_

" _When we get there."_

" _DERRICK!"_

" _Yes?"_

" _UGH!"_

* * *

Pulling into his assigned parking space at the front of the complex, Derrick shut his car off and climbed out as Massie followed suit. She always felt a knot in her stomach when she'd pass this complex, but now it's like a wave of relief washes over her at the thought of what her and him will have in the future, will share in the future.

This was their plan, after all. Get a penthouse apartment at this specific complex, overlooking the water while making morning coffee. Going for runs together down the Hudson, stopping at the Westchester Cup for a green smoothie or an iced vanilla latte then walking their way back. Bringing Bean down to the park behind the complex to watch her roll around in the grass. Derrick getting his german shepherd he always dreamed of, and he and Massie taking their dogs on walks together after work.

" _You coming?"_ Derrick's strong voice shook her of her thoughts. Blinking up at him, the brunette nodded her head before following him inside the lobby.

The lobby consisted of a white and black marble flooring, and the walls were a creamy baby blue with white wainscoting on the bottom. A coffee station stocked up with to-go cups and different flavors of coffee and dairy-alternative milks was welcoming and located underneath one of the large glass windows adjacent to the mirrored elevator doors. Derrick pressed the button after swiping his residency card, which allowed them inside the elevator. He selected the penthouse option and again swiped his card which made the button glow green and the elevator start to rise.

" _I'm proud of you, Der."_

" _For what?"_ He asked curiously, running a hand through his sandy blonde curls and looking down at Massie with confusion.

" _You did it, all of it. Everything you said that you wanted to do, everything you dreamed of you've achieved. You were signed to the professional leagues for soccer, you took over your dad's company at the same time and are managing it all flawlessly. You got the penthouse apartment, you traveled the world after graduation. You literally did everything on your bucket list."_

" _Not everything, Mass."_

" _What didn't you finish? Come on. You have a beautiful apartment, a fulfilling and amusing job one to keep you successful and one to keep you sane, you're knowledged and traveled and beyond cultured. What didn't you finish?"_

Derrick sighed heavily. _"Massie, all of those things are great and wonderful when you have someone to share those accomplishments with. It doesn't mean anything at the end of the night."_ The elevator dinged softly, opening the double doors to the outside of his apartment.

" _I'll show you it, c'mon."_

She couldn't wrap her head around it. What did he even mean? Of course you're successful and you should be proud of yourself. Who cares if there's anyone around you? Massie did most of her best work alone. But, she supposed that was always the difference between her and Derrick. He was more family orientated, more people orientated. Massie cared what people thought, but in the way of needing to know she was best or that they feared her. Derrick just wanted someone to share his accomplishments with, which still was a foreign concept to her.

He unlocked his apartment and pushed the door open, flicking the lights on and letting Massie in first. She stepped foot inside like she had a few weeks ago, but today she looked at it in a new light. Then, she was nervous and crying and didn't pay attention to many details. Now though, she could take it all in.

His apartment was a typical bachelor pad for someone of Derrick's age. Every piece of furniture was leather, the walls were a deep grey and the heated wood flooring was a dark wood as well. He had long burgundy curtains hung to cover the windows at night that led out to a beautiful view of the Hudson river, and his jersey from Briarwood was framed and hung on the wall by his desk.

Massie set her purse down on the cherry wood and black marble coffee table, turning to watch as Derrick was rifling through his desk drawers. He pulled out a shiny grey folder, opening it up to a crumpled piece of white lined paper stapled to the inside. Massie came closer, leaning against the arm chair as he handed her the paper to read.

" _I'm going to go get my bags together,"_ Derrick mumbled before disappearing into his bedroom and grabbing two of his duffel bags. Unlike Massie, he only needed a few outfits to survive a week's vacation.

 **MY BUCKET LIST (10/03/2013)**

 **Drink a beer on all seven continents ✓**

 **Backpack through all of Europe ✓**

 **Kentucky Derby ✓**

 **Learn to surf in Hawaii ✓**

 **See the Northern Lights in Iceland ✓**

 **Play professional soccer ✓**

 **Take over the family business ✓**

 **Move to a penthouse apartment ✓**

 **Marry Massie Block**

To say that Massie almost choked was an understatement. This boy knew from their senior year in high school that he wanted to marry her. She didn't even know what to say or how to respond, because not only did she feel like a major bitch for downplaying this for him but also...the only approval he ever wanted was hers.

Every night in high school where he'd find her at a party and take her home because she was too drunk, or listen to her drunk voicemails in college where she'd cry about missing him then pretend she never did it the next day. It was even worse because she had a feeling he felt that way about her, but now seeing it in his black ink? This boy would drop anything and do anything for her, and for so many years even after high school she was such a raging bitch to him. He didn't deserve that, at all.

Look at him now, planning getaways for her, bringing her gifts and taking her out on dates like he'd probably always wanted as she cried into his arms but was still technically engaged to another man. Still, Derrick was taking care of her and trying his hardest to help her and love her meanwhile she was still half in a relationship with someone else. Her stomach was in knots and her head was hurting at all the shitty things she's put him through his elementary school. Massie always thought she grew up, but maybe she didn't change at all.

Maybe Massie Block had more growing up to do. Maybe she still had work to do on herself, and Tristan was just a sign of that which she realized too late. Massie constantly craved drama and trauma, to this day, and that explains why her life is the way it is. Derrick grew up, Alicia grew up, Josh grew up, Dylan and Chris and even fucking Kuh-laire did...but Massie was still looked at as the Wicked Witch of Westchester for a reason.

She watched quietly as Derrick rummaged through his bedroom closets, putting more clothes and toiletries in his travel bags as she thought. She was ready to finally work on herself and change her old ways that she thought she grew out of. Folding the piece of paper back up inside the folder it was housed in, she stood and placed it inside the same desk drawer Derrick took it out of with a new mindset.

* * *

Derrick weaved through the windy back roads of Connecticut, following the directions on his touch-screen GPS while Massie was on her iPhone typing away. She had been doing that majority of the drive, and it was starting to get to Derrick. Why was she so quiet? Usually Massie's only quiet when she's angry, and he was not going to spend the remainder of their trip with this silence.

" _What's bothering you, Mass?"_

" _Nothing?"_

" _You always say that."_

" _Nothing's bothering me, though, like...nothing is wrong."_

" _Why was that so hesitant?"_

" _Because!"_

" _There we go."_

" _Reading your bucket list made me a realize a lot of things."_

" _Such as?"_

" _Such as the fact that you've been in love with me for so long, and I've never changed."_

" _Yes you have, Mass."_

" _Not as much as I should've. I should've grown up more, I should've outgrown the ways of old Massie the brat. But, here we are like six years later and you've grown into such an amazing man, but I'm still...here."_

" _What makes you think that the girl sitting next to me right now is anything short of an amazing woman?"_

" _I'm still selfish. I still crave the same drama and ask for the same trauma as I used to. I instigate, which is why I'm in my current situation with Tristan. I need someone to treat me badly because it makes my bitchy attitude more accepted by others. I'm just...I'm not right, and I need to fix it."_

Derrick Harrington was actually at a loss for words. He never expected Massie Block to ever become this self aware. He was fine with accepting her for all her flaws, but to hear her actually call herself out was something he wasn't ever prepared to hear. The fact that she even realized her lack of progress and growth as a person was enough to blow his mind, but he'd do anything for her, so naturally he'd be the first to help her with this new self-awareness journey.

" _Well, Mass, whatever you need me to do, I'll do."_

" _Thank you. I appreciate that, knowing you're willing to help me with this. I'm not used to being a good person, so this is going to be new to me."_

Derrick laughed at that, shaking his head and making a left turn into a gated driveway.

" _Somehow, I think you're a better person than you think you are."_

" _Well, I think there's a very interesting twist you see on me as a person, but I appreciate it a lot."_

" _As long as you appreciate it, I guess!"_

Leaning out his drivers window, Derrick put his car in park and swiped a guest pass at the sensor. The gates opened, and he sped through before they closed. Massie turned her head to look outside her window, and couldn't take her eyes off of the beautiful sight before her. There was sprawling acres of bright green foliage, trees and bushes and shrubs carrying on as far as her eyes could see.

Derrick drove past their wine cellar where the resort held wine tastings, fresh gardens, and past a lake full of couples kayaking, paddle-boarding and swimming. Derrick parked the car at the gorgeous stone building with a sign on top that read 'Check In'. He kissed Massie's cheek before climbing out, telling her to wait in the car before he walked inside.

Once he was fully checked in, the front-desk workers handed him pamphlets and maps of the area. He began to read through the map as he walked back to the car, climbing back into the driver's seat and handing them to Massie.

" _I think you'll be able to plan a full itinerary for our time here."_

" _What is this place?"_

" _Winvian Farms. My parents got married at their wedding site down a ways, but I wanted a place to get away for a little and this place is extremely private. We can have some fun, relax, do whatever we want for a few days and escape everyone else."_

" _Thank you, Der."_

" _You don't have to thank me, just enjoy the time here."_


	26. chapter twenty five

The line went dead, and William shot down his glass of whiskey before looking out of the windowed bar and watching Tristan continue to shmooze opponents and potential clients. The voice was right, he really didn't know this man. In a cloud of anger, William Block slammed a twenty down on the table and left the bar in search of the business room that held the facsimile machine inside of it. He needed to know what he'd been missing the whole time.

* * *

William's head was clouded with annoyance. He hated being the last one to know, it was a Block thing. He felt used, and he didn't like that. William knew that Tristan was outside for at least another two hours, so he didn't bother to be subtle as he stormed into the hotel's business center where sure enough, there sat at the fax machine a stack of documents, at least five inches thick.

Tristan was a king pin in William's original plan. He was reliable, always striving to please William and the Block's many companies however it suited William. He was also the son of the man who held a share for half of Mr. Harrington's company, which William hated with a passion. He hated it because he was blocked out of the deal way back when. Now, instead of having to offer to buy shares or equity, Massie would absorb that percentage into her marriage with Tristan. But, to what extent was too far? To what level was enough enough, that it wasn't worth it anymore when his behaviors were so atrocious?

He had no idea what to expect, but was appreciative that no one else was inside the business center so he didn't have to fake a calm demeanor. William was a good businessman in the way of being able to mask his true feelings - but when it came to his only daughter, he highly doubted he could contain himself. Taking the papers in haste, he grabbed the closest chair which was sitting at the computer desk and blinked twice before beginning to turn through the pages in his hands.

Tristan's name was changed, it appeared through an adoption. Not a big deal, people get remarried all the time. But, this wasn't a remarriage, this was a real adoption. Why would that matter? William's eyebrows raised as he turned to the next page, a report from the foster family he was staying with prior to the Montgomery's adopting him.

It looks like there were three police reports against Tristan Gomes, before he was adopted. One was for stealing valuables from a stranger's home and attempting to run away from police, one was for supplying some sort of pills to sixteen year olds, and the last one was an abuse charge filed by his ex girlfriend who listed physical and mental trauma.

As William continued going through the stack, it only got worse. Records from his doctor's stating continued use and abuse of xanax, percocets, reports of cocaine usage. Stolen vehicles in his name that his adopted father Mr. Montgomery cleared. Possession of firearms in Texas and New York without a gun or firearm license.

Pausing for a second after reading the firearm possession, William turned back to actually read the police report his ex girlfriend had filed against him. Seeing in black and white writing that he had attempted to make her stay, threatening her with a handgun, William held back bile before grabbing his cell phone and trying to call Massie. He knew she had no idea about any of this, and needed to warn her to stay calm and normal until he could figure out how to sort this mess out.

* * *

" _Hi, Dad."_

" _Hi, honey. Where are you right now?"_

Massie exchanged a glance with Derrick, who was sitting beside her on the lounge chairs the resort had around the empty pool. The pair was currently getting some sun, with two cold glasses of white wine, but if she told her father they were here and alone, he would lose it.

 _"Massie, where are you?"_

" _Oh, I'm just at the pool, why?"_

" _We have to talk...about a lot of things."_

" _About what, daddy?"_

Massie asked, her voice dripping with sweet confusion. Inside, her heart was pounding with every breath she took. All of a sudden, her hands were clammy and her chanel hand cream couldn't fix that. Her lips lost all their moisture, and her dior lip balm wouldn't solve it. He knew about her and Derrick, and it was a matter of time until Tristan did too.

" _We need to talk about Tristan. I'm coming home soon, and we will discuss it then. I'll be home in three days."_

" _I thought you were staying until next week?"_

" _I've changed my mind, it appears. See you soon."_

Fiery amber eyes met puppy dog brown ones beside her, belonging to the boy currently leaning over his lounge chair to listen in on her and her father's conversation. He looked like he had seen a ghost, pale and confused and wanting to get everything over with as soon as he possibly could.

" _What do you think he has to say?"_

" _There's only one way to find out, unfortunately."_

" _At least we have until he comes back Thursday morning,"_ Derrick sighed.

" _Yeah, at least. I just…..I wonder why he wants to see me, it's weird."_

" _He told you nothing over the phone?"_

" _Absolutely nothing, besides the fact that it's about Tristan."_

" _I really wonder why, though. Aren't they together right now?"_

" _Of course, his protigee is with him at all fucking times."_

" _Do you think he knows, Mass?"  
"It...it's possible. I doubt it, but with William, I never know."_

* * *

Derrick had booked Massie a spa day the next morning, knowing in the next three days things were going to get very messy for her. They shared a breakfast together in the restaurant downstairs comprised of french toast with strawberries and farm fresh egg and pepper omelettes, then Massie paraded off to the spa while Derrick was catching up on some work emails he had missed. As he was replying to one of his staff's proposals, his iPhone began to buzz.

" _Hello?"_

" _Hi Derrick, how's your vacation?"  
"It's good, Dad. Did you see Jeremy's proposal for the next fiscal year?"_

" _Oh yeah, guy's a genius. But, that isn't why I'm calling."_

" _Oh, what's up? Is everything okay? It's not your heart again, is it?"_

" _No no, I'm okay. Well, not really. Derrick, did you know about Montgomery's son?"_

" _What are you talking about?"_

" _Tristan. My partner's son, who is currently holding twenty five percent equity in our company. Do you know anything about him?"_

" _Uhm, no, not really, I've met him like twice, he seemed decent, but I don't think he knows who I am in relation to you, and I would like to keep it that way. Why?"_

" _I think Massie is in trouble. I didn't know about him, and quite frankly I didn't care. But, his father has started making some really shady dealings, and I had my private investigator do some digging because there is something off. Turns out, I was right. Now, you know how I feel about anything William Block does, but I also know you still have a soft spot for Massie and I think you need to know. There's a lot of criminal background with him, and I'm nervous for her."_

" _What kind of criminal background?"_

The chair he was sitting in at the restaurant that overlooked miles and miles of green acreage felt like it was vibrating underneath of him. Derrick's arms began to sweat at the thought. He always knew something was wrong, and from what Massie had already told him, he wasn't far off. But this, this was news he knew Massie didn't even know about. This just meant that they needed to go forward with their plan sooner rather than later, which he still wasn't sure what their plan was. There's still a lot of variables up in the air that he and Massie and Chris and Dylan were trying to pretend weren't there, for the time being.

" _I'm talking about him stealing, dealing, and illegal possession of firearms in two states with a history of abuse, physical and mental. And, threatening with those firearms."_

" _Holy shit. How did you not know any of this?!"_

" _His father had it expunged, purged from his record so when my team was searching for him and his family it came up clean. But not only am I concerned about Massie, he owns half of this company, Derrick. Half of your company. When his father passes, he absorbs that half."_

" _What the FUCK, DAD?"_ Derrick yelled into his phone.

He couldn't even attempt to hide the anger he felt. He understood that Mr. Montgomery had all the records purged, but if his dad was able to get them now, why couldn't he of before they went into a multi million dollar business? This was absurd. And now, on top of his own drug issues, he's got a knack for guns? God, she really picked a gem, he thought to himself.

 _"I have to plan with my team to figure out how I can get this company back. For now, just watch out for Bill's daughter, okay?"_

" _You got it."_

* * *

Soft clapping, throwing arms around each other, swiping american express cards for beers and sticking dollar bills in the caddy's pockets. The fresh open air, soft sounds of the birds in trees flapping their wings to escape as golf balls came soaring through the sky, and the pressure of everyone's eyes on you secretly hoping you'll fail. That, my dear, is golf tournaments with your competitors and colleagues.

Tristan's palms gripped the handle, moist and warm and hoping he wouldn't fuck up this turn or William would surely have his ass. He winded up, he shot, he watched the ball sink itself into the hole and let out a sigh of relief as his competitors clapped for him and shook William's hand, making fake trades and barters about taking Tristan for their own tournament teams next year.

Turning back to the group of men in their Sunday best golf attire, Tristan handed off his golf club to one of the caddys and excused himself to the restroom. He moseyed his way into the hotel, following the black and white signs for the bathroom. Winding down a hallway that had glass walls, he watched as one of the Block's biggest competitors prepped for his turn. Pushing the restroom door open, he closed it softly behind him and flipped the lock before going straight to the black marble countertops.

Tristan quickly took out his wallet, pulling a slim zip lock baggy out of one of the pockets and lining the countertop with white powder. Once it was angled appropriately, he knelt down and held one nostril as the other filled with the substance. He breathed in deeply, then exhaled and stood back up to look at himself in the mirror.

To be the best in the game, you have to fit in with the rest. Now William may be extremely anti-drug, but that doesn't mean all of his competition and even staff felt the same way. As Tristan saw fit, he needed to blend in with the rest of the wall street workers with any means necessary. He wasn't a saint, but typically pills were more his usual route.

Dusting the remainder of powder off of his nose, Tristan went to one of the stalls and flushed the toilet. Then, ran back to the sink and washed his hands, acting like nothing happened once the traces of his substance was gone. He unlocked the door and exited the bathroom with a smug grin on his face, straightening out his shirt and tucking his wallet back into the front pocket of his khaki trousers.

He fished for his iPhone, checking to see what missed notifications he had. He saw a message from Massie a half hour ago saying that she was going to get a massage, which he responded to with a 'can't wait to see u soon, have fun, love you. Will text you when we wrap up.' Tucking it back into his pocket, he walked back out onto the green to continue trying to impress William's competitors.


	27. chapter twenty six

Waving goodbye to the driver he hired, William lifted his black GG gucci carry on bag and started his walk towards the stairs that led to the front door when he felt a hand on his shoulder. _Shit,_ he thought, _Tristan was supposed to go to his own apartment._ He turned around, giving the young man a faint smile. Before he could talk to Len and figure out what his next move should be, he needed to pretend nothing was wrong. Now, his family's safety depended on it, and he was the one who brought this all upon them, after all. He kept his voice level and even, adding a hint of a joyous tone to it as he spoke to Tristan.

" _What's wrong, Montgomery? I thought that the driver was taking you home. You didn't move in, yet."_

" _No, I told Calvin to take the day off. I wanted to come here first and see Mass, then I'll call a car when I'm ready."_

" _Oh, oh, okay. Well, shall we?"_

William continued up the stairs with Tristan on his tail. Taking his house keys out of his pocket, he unlocked the front door and entered the home, pressing his passcode into the alarm next to the front door. William dropped his bag at the door, which one of his housemaids Anne came and collected, and kicked his shoes off.

" _Kendra?"_ He called out, his voice echoing in the tall ceilings and long hallways his home held.

" _In the kitchen!"_ His wife called back.

He nodded, taking the keys out of his pocket and hanging them next to the door before winding into the kitchen. Tristan was behind him, his nose buried into his iPhone. There at the kitchen table was Kendra and Massie, picking at a china platter full of different cake flavors and frosting flavors.

" _Making wedding decisions without me?"_ Tristan mused, moving to stand behind Massie and placing a kiss on her cheek before swiping one of the small tasting forks and trying the cappuccino flavored piece. " _Oh god, this one's fantastic!"_

" _We're just weeding out the bakeries, my love. So many of them want to host the wedding of the century - we have a tasting next week…. two, actually."_

" _So, what you're saying is that I need to go back to the gym every day this week?"_

" _Precisely so, T."_ Massie giggled, taking his fork and stabbing a piece of strawberry shortcake and handing it back to him to try.

" _Hello, darling."_ William kissed the top of his daughter's head, then took his seat at the head of the table, next to Massie and Kendra on the other side.

" _Hi, Dad. How was the tournament?"_

" _We smoked them, as usual. Next year, they'll probably hire a professional for their team. Your Tristan here has quite the swing."_

" _Thank you, sir. But, if I'm being honest, it's all from what you taught me."_

" _Well, it sure sounds like you two had a great trip!"_ Kendra cheered brightly, resting her hand on William's right shoulder.

As Tristan opened his mouth to reply, his iPhone began vibrating obnoxiously. Startled, Tristan jumped up and took the phone out of his pocket. Reading the name on the screen, Tristan excused himself before walking outside through the double glass doors that led to the Block's now covered pool and grass ways, and pavers with lounge chairs.

Once he was out of the house and far enough out of earshot, William turned to the girls and Kendra and Massie's faces were full of confusion.

" _Why is he here?" Massie asked._

" _To see you. I sent the car to his apartment once I was dropped off, and he got out with me. Next time, we're dropping him off first."_

" _No kidding, William. What in the world is going on here?!"_

" _I have papers you both have to look at. But, for now, let's pretend we know nothing, right?"_

" _Right."_ Both women echoed, as Tristan walked back towards the door.

Kendra jumped out of her seat. _"I'll make some tea!"_ She offered, going to the stove and putting the tea kettle on as Tristan walked back inside.

" _Thank you, Kendra."_ Tristan grinned, going back to his seat as Kendra hummed around the kitchen, getting together tea cups and an herbal apple cinnamon tea to match the October season.

" _Unfortunately, babe, I have to run out in a minute. There's business at my dad's office that needs to be tended to, but I will be back tomorrow morning and we'll have breakfast, alright?"_

" _Okay, babe. Do you want to take some tea to go?"_

" _No need, I'm all caffeinated up."_

" _Do you want me to call the car, my love?"_

" _Oh no, I have one outside already. Love you, and thank you both for giving me the opportunity to go on this trip with you, Bill."_

" _Of course, see you at the office tomorrow."_ Bill waved.

" _I love you, babe."_ Massie blew Tristan a kiss as Kendra wrapped him in a quick hug. As soon as he came, he was out the front door and into the car disappearing out of the driveway.

* * *

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. No one really knew the full deal of Tristain Montgomery - Massie thought she did, but what her dad scared her was even worse of a reality than before.

" _I have the papers, hold on."_ William Block called Anna to bring him back his carry on bag, and once she handed it to him, he dismissed the staff for the rest of the night.

" _Can't be too sure,"_ William mumbled before rummaging through the contents of his bag. Pulling out a thick envelope full of papers, he laid it on the table and went through the papers. He handed half to Massie, and half to Kendra.

Massie gripped the stack of papers in her hands, half not wanting to look through any of them. She was actually hoping her dad was kidding. Now, she knows he isn't a good person, but she didn't think Tristan's actions would freak her father out to this extent unless it was worse than a drug habit.

" _I need to figure out how we can get this family out of this arrangement. But, you can see for yourself."_

Kendra gasped as she sorted through her stack of papers. " _William, how did you not find any of this out before?"_

The tea kettle whistling shook Massie out of her frozen state. She jumped out of her seat to go pour the hot water into the mugs with tea bags, watching her mother's facial expressions.

" _Please share with the class, mom."_

" _Did you know your fiance was arrested seven times?"_

" _What?"_

" _And, four of those arrests was because of possession of illegal drugs?"_

" _And the other two?"_

" _One was a gun-point robbery, and one was an assault charge...He was also arrested another time for illegal possession of a firearm in two states, this one included.."_

" _Are you fucking KIDDING, DAD?!"_

" _I didn't know! Expunged records show as a clean one!"_

" _Well, how are you planning on getting me and this family out of this?!"_ Massie questioned, bringing the mugs of tea to the kitchen table and sitting back down. Her hands were now visibly shaken. Now, she could start letting her real feelings show, her real anxieties come to the surface after being pushed down for so long.

" _I...I haven't yet. I'm working on it, Len and I are meeting tomorrow morning."_

" _Where did you even get these documents, Dad? Plus, I read that prenuptial agreement you concocted. It's fucking terrible. Now, I'm really fucking stuck because of your choosing to turn a blind eye. "_

" _I told you. I got a phone call at the tournament, it was anonymous. Someone faxed it to the business center there, someone who knew I was there to pick them up. Someone's watching over this, over us, and I don't know who but I damn well-I'm going to find out."_

As Massie took a sip of her piping hot tea, the front doorbell rang. Before Massie could offer, her father was out of his chair and storming the front door, prepared to tell Tristan to go the fuck home.

" _Oh, it's you."_

* * *

" _Hi, Mr. Block."_

" _Hi, Derrick."_

" _Is Massie home?"_ In that moment, Derrick felt like he was fifteen again, asking if he could take Massie to the town fair.

" _Yes, she's inside."_

" _Oh."_

" _Would you like to come in, Harrington?"_

" _I mean...yes, if you aren't in the middle of something."_

" _DAAAAD, LET HIM IN, GAWD."_ Massie yelled out to the hallway.

" _Come in, Derrick."_ William gestured quickly, not entirely sure if someone was watching this exchange from afar.

Nodding, Derrick walked inside, closing the door behind him and walking quickly to the kitchen to check on Massie. There might be years between when they dated back in middle school to their current...situation, but William still scared the shit out of Derrick and he wasn't afraid to admit that.

" _I didn't know you were coming over."_ Massie greeted in a flat tone, signaling to Derrick that now was a terrible time for this unplanned visit.

" _I didn't know you were going to not answer your phone."_ He retorted, shifting his weight from one foot to the other awkwardly as both her parents watched their conversation.

" _Oh, sorry, Tristan came by."_

" _Oh."_

Awkward silence could be felt by every person in the room. Even the daisies on the dining room table would've disappeared if they could've.

" _Hello, Derrick."_

" _Hi, Mrs. Block."_

" _Come sit, I just made some tea."_ Kendra nodded to Tristan's seat and hot, untouched cup of tea. Nodding, Derrick took the seat and wrapped his large hands around the mug.

" _So, Derrick, tell me. How was sleeping in my daughter's bed, when I was down the hall?"_

Massie and Derrick's cheeks turned bright pink.

" _Dad!"_

" _It's an honest question, dear. Did you think I wouldn't ask? I was subdued the next morning, but see, now I can ask him whatever I'd like."_

" _Sir, in all honesty? We were both very inebriated that night. Massie wasn't comfortable with me driving home. Plovert - Chris, was here, too. We stayed on her guest futon. I'm sorry we didn't ask first."_

" _Oh, come on, Derrick. You know I'm just busting your balls, giving you a hard time for old times sake. Like the time you broke my only daughter's heart and made her never believe in true love again. Rather, what made you come here today, though?"_

Derrick gulped and awkwardly darted his eyes from Mr. Block to Massie, and back to Mr. Block, shaking his head. _"I know that. And you should know, but my father actually. He asked me to look out for Massie, he didn't tell me why, but he mentioned some findings on Tristan and his family, and he seemed really...nervous. As I'm sure you know, the Montgomery family has a percentage of my father's company, which explains half of his anxiety. Do you know anything about that?"_ Derrick asked, sipping the tea Kendra gave him as Kendra and Massie's heads both shot up.

" _Actually, that's here."_ Massie said softly, handing him the stack of papers in front of her.

Derrick furrowed his brows, but extended his right hand and took the stack of papers from her. He couldn't tell what was more eerie - the way the three Blocks were looking at him, or the way that the estate was so silent a pin could drop and you'd hear it. There's normally such loud hustle and bustle, vacuum cleaners and pool boys, maids doing laundry, chatter of the gardeners, but tonight it was dead silent.

He began to flip through the papers, though his face remained emotionless through each paper he flipped, his eyes said it all. Derrick tried very hard to keep a calm composure through all of this for Massie's sake, knowing how much she was internally battling. Besides, this empire was the only thing she really cared about, and her father set it up so either way she'd lose it all. Her husband was set to take over the company, not her, and Tristan would run it to the ground.

" _Wow."_

" _That might be the tip of the iceberg of your father's worries."_

" _Right. Where's the other part of this iceberg you speak of?"_

Kendra handed Derrick her stack of paperwork, and he leafed through it, one eye on the papers and the other occasionally looking over at Massie. It was weird, being here with her and her parents. It felt foreign - the last time they all sat together, it was about a month before the two ended things. The house since then went through about five major renovations, but the dining room table remained the same, the chairs they were sitting on stayed as well, and he felt...childish, all of a sudden.

Derrick couldn't fight the feeling that Massie's parents would never look at him as more than the sixteen year old he was when he was dating their daughter. Would they see all of his growth, all of his changes? All of his accomplishments? Or do they still see him as a child, a naive little boy with a lot more to learn?

" _Derrick, I'm showing you these things for two reasons."_ William began, breaking Derrick out of his headspace and staring him straight in the eye.

Derrick sat up straighter, setting the papers on the table and folding his hands over them.

" _One is that your father should know the danger he, you, and your company is in for. I wouldn't wish this upon anyone else, and you know your father and I were very good friends. Colleagues, mentees."_

" _I did hear about the past between you two. I still don't understand why you can't reconcile and settle your differences."_

" _That conversation, Derrick, is for another day. The second reason is because I know you're soft for my daughter. I know you always have been. You can try to pretend you aren't, that you have this bravado up and that you aren't phased, but I know you never got over this."_

" _William! That is none of your business!"_

" _Quiet, Kendra. Let me finish. I know this because I know I was the same way over Kendra. I know what real love looks like. And, I know you're going to help me work very hard to protect her from him."_

" _You're right."_ Derrick nodded, a blush creeping up his neck he tried desperately to hide by tugging on the collar of his soccer team's sweatshirt.

Massie looked at Derrick, then at her father. Her head was spinning. Was her father unintentionally giving her his blessing to go forward with her plan? Not that he knows what it is because let's be honest - Derrick, Massie, Dylan, and Chris barely have a plan. But, he now knows what a fucking monster Tristan is, so maybe he'd be okay with Massie marrying Chris after all? Not that she wanted it, but if that was her best option, she'd sure as hell take it.

" _Tell me what you need me to do."_ Derrick's strong, deep voice shook Massie from her thoughts. He was ready to step in after seeing in black and white how terrible Tristan was, but also now knowing that William actually...likes him, for lack of a better word.

" _I need you keeping an eye on them, on her. Get in the middle when you feel like you need to. I want your presence being known. I know he doesn't know you are part of your father's corporation, so I suggest you keep it that way. He just thinks you play professional soccer and your dad's company is no involvement to you. Once he sees you as real competition, I don't know what he'll try to do. Can you do that? I want you with her at all times. I don't care, make up excuses."_

" _Got it."_

" _Does dinner count as one? Because I haven't had lunch yet, and it's like five o'clock. You also sent the help home."_

 _"I'm sure dinner can work."_

" _Well, Kendra and Massie, you two need to continue with this wedding planning. We need to act like nothing is wrong, nothing is different. We give him notice that we know something is up, and I don't know how he'll react."_

" _Got it."_

" _That means, Massie, you need to act like you still don't know his past. You need to act like he's still the best man in the world to you, the man for you, the man you want to spend the rest of your life with. Can you do that?"_

" _I've been doing it for months, dad."_

" _What?"_ William and Kendra echoed together, turning to Massie with fear all over their faces.

" _He and I have had...disagreements, you can say. Altercations."_

" _Massie told me two months ago what he was like. That's why I've been so….around, I guess. Chris too, and Dylan..."_ Derrick licked the top of his front teeth nervously, sitting back in his chair and taking a long sip of hot tea. **"** _I just have been spending the most time around her since we found out, because I figured I'm the one who can protect her if things start going south."_

" _Why didn't you tell us, Massie?!"_ Kendra exclaimed, almost knocking her mug onto the floor throwing her hands out to cover her daughters.

" _I was waiting for the right time. You both loved him, you adored him. I didn't want to ruin this dream of yours, and I figured in time he'd show his true colors or change. I guess….I guess we didn't have to wait for either to happen."_

" _I am so angry you didn't tell us, Massie Elizabeth."_

" _Yeah yeah yeah, lecture me later dad. What my point was, is that I can keep this charade up, as long as you need."_

William nodded his head and gave the other three at the table a very grim look. _"Unfortunately, this might be a while."_


End file.
